Embracing the Beauty of Aging and the Power of Redefining Womanhood

A heartful conversation on The Sharon Fitzmaurice Podcast with Ashleigh Tobin on navigating midlife, hormonal transitions, and rediscovering our dreams

There are moments in life when a conversation doesn’t just inspire you - it stirs something deep in your soul. My recent chat with Ashleigh Tobin was one of those moments. Ashleigh, a TEDx and international award-winning speaker, health and mind coach, and fierce advocate for women’s wellbeing, brings together decades of experience and a fresh, unapologetic voice that encourages women to step into their power, especially during life’s hormonal transitions.

With over thirty-five years in nursing, coaching, and holistic health, Ashleigh is a rare blend of science, soul, and storytelling. She has a gift for making complex health issues easy to understand and deeply human - things like perimenopause, menopause, brain fog, stress, and burnout - topics often spoken about in hushed tones or not at all. But Ashleigh brings them to the forefront with humour, clarity, and heartfelt wisdom.

Rediscovering Ourselves Through Life’s Transitions

One of the most resonant parts of our conversation was about the journey of aging - a path often fraught with fear and societal pressure to “stay young.” But what if we’ve been sold the wrong story?

As Ashleigh so beautifully puts it in her TEDx talk, we’ve long heard of the three stages of womanhood: Maiden, Mother, and Crone. But what about the space in between? The vibrant, transformative years where we’re no longer the maiden and not yet ready to wear the crown of crone? She redefines this space with terms that truly resonate: Creative, Enchantress, Sage. These words light something within - they speak of wisdom, passion, and purpose. They invite us to become cycle breakers, women who rewrite the narrative and reclaim their voice.

Listening to the Body, Honouring the Self

We spoke deeply about the importance of reconnecting with our bodies, especially during perimenopause and menopause. This time can feel isolating and confusing if we don’t understand what’s happening within us. But awareness is power - and self-knowledge is liberation.

Ashleigh’s work supports both individuals and organisations, helping people tune in to their inner wisdom and embrace practical tools for wellness. Whether she’s speaking in workplaces or offering personal coaching, her message is always clear: Your wellbeing matters. Your story matters. And now is the time to start listening - not just to the world, but to yourself.

Aging as a Sacred Rite, Not a Shame

Perhaps one of the most powerful truths Ashleigh shared was this: growing older is a privilege. It is not something to be feared or hidden, but something to be honoured and celebrated. As women, we have the opportunity to redefine what it means to age - not as a slow fading away, but as a deepening, a ripening, a blossoming of everything we are meant to be.

We are not just getting older; we are becoming more ourselves.

In a world that often tries to dim women’s light as they age, Ashleigh Tobin’s work is a luminous reminder that we are entering our most powerful chapters. These are the years where we reclaim our dreams, reset our values, and reignite our desires. The Enchantress within us is not a myth - she is real, wise, and waiting for us to notice her.

I’m so grateful for the insightful, soul-nourishing conversation we had. I invite you to explore more of Ashleigh’s work — watch her inspiring TEDx talk here. Let it be a spark that awakens the Enchantress in you.

Sharon Fitzmaurice

Holistic Wellness Coach, Author & Host of The Sharon Fitzmaurice Podcast

This week’s on The Sharon Fitzmaurice Podcast conversation with Rachel Crowder was one of those deeply enlightening moments that stays with you, and reminds you of the importance of what we eat, doesn’t just feed our bodies, it feeds our minds.

Rachel is a qualified Nutrition and Health Coach, but more than that, she is a woman on a mission - one that is deeply personal and profoundly purposeful. Her passion to help women reclaim their energy, reduce chronic symptoms, and feel empowered in their health is not something she learned in a textbook; it’s rooted in the kind of life experience that shapes who you are and how you show up in the world.

At just nine years old, Rachel became a young carer for her mother, who battled with rheumatoid arthritis and complex chronic health issues. She was cooking meals, cleaning, and managing a household long before most children her age even considered such responsibilities. Her school had no idea. There was no outside support. She simply did what needed to be done.

When she later met her now husband, he was amazed by her resourcefulness. To Rachel, it was just what she had always known - her normal. But it made me wonder: how many other children are out there, quietly carrying the weight of the world on their small shoulders, unseen and unsupported? In Ireland alone, we know there are over 4,000 carers under the age of 15, but those are only the ones recorded in the census. How many more go unnoticed?

Rachel’s story is a powerful reminder of how deeply intertwined our life experiences are with our health journeys. After 20 years in the retail world, she retrained in nutrition and health coaching - driven not just by her own family’s history of autoimmune conditions, cancer, and heart disease, but by her husband’s decade-long struggle with digestive issues. It was through exploring gut health and functional nutrition that they found answers and healing.

Today, Rachel helps women facing similar challenges - autoimmune issues, arthritis, hormone shifts, reclaim their vitality using whole-body, gut-focused nutrition. She reminds us that chronic illness does not have to define our future. That our bodies are far more capable of healing than we often believe.

As we wrapped up our conversation, I was reminded of the deep connection between what we eat, how we live, and how we feel. Science is now confirming what many in the wellness world have long known that conditions like Alzheimer’s and diabetes often begin in the gut.

So if something within you feels off, or if you sense that your food is not serving you, don’t wait for the perfect time to start over. Try just one small change today. Add a nourishing whole food to your plate. Drink a little more water. Tune in, gently, to what your body is asking for.

Your body and your mind will thank you in the days, weeks, and years to come.

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Sharon

Author, Wellness Coach & Host of The Sharon Fitzmaurice Podcast