The Big Four Oh: The Podcast About Turning 40
Sometime around age 40 (+/-) you might start feeling like some part of your life no longer fits and you don't know what to do about it. It could be at work or at home - or simply inside of you. You might be asking questions like, "How did I get here?" Or, "Is this all there is?" "Is this what I've been working so hard for?" Or, "Why aren't I happier?"
Growing out of her own experience turning 40, Stephanie McLaughlin became captivated by the big “four oh,” and how people handle the milestone birthday.
On The Big Four Oh Podcast, Stephanie has conversations with people about their life experience around turning 40. This birthday often comes wrapped in larger life changes, whether it’s a newfound search for meaning, accepting your mortality, or shedding all those things you did because some external authority said you “should.”
Her mission is to make it common cultural knowledge that there IS a transition most of us face around age 40, and then showcase so many versions of that transition that every single person approaching, or recently turned, 40 with dread in their heart, knows that they are not alone.
I know you don't want to call it a midlife crisis, so I won't, but "if the glove fits, you must acquit." 😉
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 47 minutes
- Episodes
- 140
- Years Active
- 2022 - 2025
Turning 40 and Googling 'why is my boyfriend so mean to me’
What happens when a Google search changes the course of your life? Sabrina Victoria shares how she broke free from a controlling, abusive relationship and rebuilt her life from scratch. From secret b…
Turning 40 and breaking down in banana bread
Turning 40 and breaking down in banana bread
When Edel Howlin moved from Ireland to Houston in her late 20s, she was certain she was building her dream life. She found her calling in public radio and …
Turning 40 and finding the wound beneath the weight
What if the thing you’ve been trying to fix your whole life isn’t actually the thing that needs fixing? At 38, Patty Cabot began a journey that would unravel decades of emotional pain, body image str…
Turning 40 and facing a midlife curveball
Anne Montgomery was one of the first women to anchor ESPN’s SportsCenter—but when her TV career ended abruptly at 38, she found herself broke, heartbroken, and convinced her best days were behind her…
Reflections: The Cost of Hustle in Midlife
What if slowing down isn’t a setback, but a turning point? In this episode, Stephanie explores how midlife often presses pause on our hustle-filled lives - and what looks at first like a punishment …
Turning 40 and trading high heels for healing
When Anna Brooke heard a mysterious voice say “burlesque dancer” during a meditation, she had no idea it would lead to a full-blown metamorphosis. Known on stage as the Reverend Legs Malone, Anna bui…
Reflections: What Burnout Is Really Trying to Tell You
Burnout is more than just being tired—it’s about finding out the limits of a life that no longer fits. In this solo bonus episode, Stephanie pulls together stories from past guests who pushed themsel…
Turning 40 and unlearning the American Dream
What happens when you reach the top—and realize it’s not what you wanted? Angela Hwang had the résumé, the accolades, and the paycheck, but behind the scenes, her health was deteriorating and her hap…
Reflections: Creative awakenings at midlife
Among the many strange and funny things that can happen as you reach midlife is this: just when everything feels like it’s falling apart, something creative starts to stir. In this bonus episode, Ste…
Turning 40 and making art out of the mess
When Jenn Kacmar and Rose Planer met at an engagement party, they had no idea their friendship would become the anchor that carried them through midlife chaos. With a decade between them, different c…
Reflections: Breaking Old Patterns to Find Yourself
In this short bonus episode, Steph unpacks the deeper themes from her conversation with Elizabeth Makepeace—no listening homework required. Through Elizabeth’s story, Steph explores how unconscious p…
Turning 40 and resigning as the family fixer
When Elizabeth Makepeace fell for a younger, free-spirited musician, she thought she’d found the love foretold in a dream. But what began as a spiritual connection turned into a controlling, emotiona…
Turning 40 and turning pasta into a paycheck
At age 39, Francesca Montillo had a thriving healthcare career at a prestigious Boston hospital—but her heart was in Italy, dreaming of pasta, wine, and sun-soaked adventures. In this episode, she sh…
Turning 40 and trading safety for soulful
What if your “successful” life started to feel like a slow, quiet heartbreak? In this episode, Steve Vincent shares how he went from burned-out high school vice principal to thriving freelance copywr…
Turning 40 and getting dismissed by doctors
When Amita Sharma hit her 40s, her body started betraying her—crippling fatigue, brain fog, and relentless hot flashes—but doctors told her she was "fine." Frustrated and desperate for answers, she t…
Turning 40 and Breaking Free from Survival Mode
Naomi Kreske thought she had built the perfect life—marriage, kids, and the white picket fence dream. But when her marriage crumbled, she found herself stuck in survival mode, barely holding it all t…
Reflections: Letting go of understanding what happened
In this bonus episode of the Big Four Oh Podcast, Steph delves deeper into themes discussed with Shā Sparks, focusing on the concepts of releasing the need for understanding to heal, and the importan…
Turning 40 and Finding Peace Without Answers
Shā Sparks’ midlife transformation was about breaking free—from toxic relationships, self-doubt, and the need for closure. After years in an abusive relationship, she realized she didn’t need answers…
Turning 40 and Rewiring the Mind
In this episode, Stephanie talks to Marcy Langlois, who shares her extraordinary story of resilience and recovery. Born with a cleft lip and palate requiring multiple surgeries, Marcy grew up in a ch…
Reflections: Self Worth
Steph delves into Emily Hall's emotional story, where she reveals how she tied her self-worth to societal milestones like marriage and having kids, leading to an identity crisis fueled by low self-es…