Midlife, Menopause & Momentum: How Jenny Waters Helps Women Thrive With Wellness | #206

Are you struggling with energy, brain fog, or feeling stuck in midlife? This episode is for you.

In this powerful episode #206 of the Second Act Success Career Podcast, host Shannon Russell chats with Jenny Waters, a former engineer who turned a family health crisis into a mission-driven wellness business. Jenny shares her raw and relatable story of perimenopause, her husband’s autoimmune diagnosis, and how she reclaimed her health—and her confidence—through transformational nutrition.

Now a certified Transformational Nutrition Coach and founder of Jenny Waters Wellness, she helps women in midlife reduce inflammation, balance hormones, and build a second act filled with energy, purpose, and passion.

🎧 Tune in to learn:

• The signs of hormone imbalance and how to advocate for your health
• Why midlife is the perfect time to launch a business or second act
• How Jenny went from engineer and youth director to YouTube wellness coach
• Practical ways to fight fatigue, manage stress, and feel like yourself again
• The small changes that can lead to lasting transformation

This episode is packed with hope, practical tips, and proof that it’s never too late to rewrite your story—and thrive in your next chapter.

SHOW NOTES:

https://secondactsuccess.co/206

Connect with Jenny Waters:

https://www.youtube.com/@jennywaterswellness

https://www.jennywaterswellness.com/

https://www.jennywaterswellness.com/thrive

https://www.instagram.com/jennywaterswellness/

_____

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Transcript

Second Act Success Career Podcast

Season 1 - Midlife, Menopause & Momentum: How Jenny Waters Helps Women Thrive With Wellness | #206

Episode - #206

Host: Shannon Russell

Guest: Jenny Waters

Transcription (*created by Descript and may not be perfectly accurate)

Jenny Waters: [00:00:00] I believe our second act is we are meant to thrive in all ways, but you gotta have your health so that you can do all the other things.  I just remember just crying a lot after doctor's appointments at home, looking in the mirror. It's like, who is this person? I shouldn't feel like this at this age.

And I like had too much. To look forward to, to feel like that. Mm-hmm. And so I don't want any woman to stay stuck there. You need somebody in your corner cheering you on, not shaming you, teaching you how to take the small steps when you have no energy to do the big things. 

Are you ready to quit your nine to five job and start a business of your own? Well, you're in the right place, my friend. Welcome to the second Act Success Career podcast. I am your host Shannon Russell. I am a former television producer, turned business owner, career transition coach, and boy. My mission is to help you produce your best life.

This podcast will teach you how to get from where you are [00:01:00] now to where you want to be, and how to build a business that fits your life and lights you up. Let's get started. 

Shannon Russell: Jenny Waters. I'm so happy to have you here on Second Act Success. How are you? I am great and I'm excited to talk with 

Jenny Waters: you, Shannon. 

Shannon Russell: Aw. Jenny and I have known each other for so long and really help support each other in our businesses, so it's very special to have you here.

Jenny Waters: Thank you for having me. 

Shannon Russell: Well, let's start from the beginning. I know about your businesses now and we're gonna get to all of that, but where did your career begin? Well, 

Jenny Waters: it started in high school. Unlike my daughter's high school experience, they're, they're thinking of what career they wanna do and where their skills line up and they practice it.

I was good at math and science, and my high school physics teacher said mainly boys should be engineers. And so I was like. I'm gonna prove him wrong, I majored in mechanical engineering In college. It was not necessarily my [00:02:00] passion, but I was a facilities engineer at Texas Instruments. I did project management.

I, a lot of it I did like, but it was never, never really lit me up. It was a paycheck. It challenged me, but that's where I started. Then I took some time off when I had our daughters, and in the meantime my husband started a manufacturer rep agency. were raising the girls and they were growing up, I could work part-time with him and then be at home with.

The girls, so I was developing the background skills. , He's a salesman and I never liked to be front facing and so I was doing payroll all the back office stuff. Fast forward, our daughters get to high school and our church youth director quit. Somehow I got pegged to be the church youth director.

Ooh. It was terrifying to me because I'd always said, you know, I'll help with when they're little, but once they get to high school, teenagers [00:03:00] scare me. Yeah. So I was like, I'm not having any part of that, but I did it for 10 years and I can just see, you know, along the way, God's. Planting the skill sets that I need for later down the road.

And so with Youth Group, I was able to really plan activities, get comfortable talking in front of people, coaching grumpy teenagers to do things sometimes they don't wanna do. And, and it just, it really blossomed me in my confidence. But then about mid forties, good old perimenopause happened. My health kind of tanked my girls were about to leave for college and I just came to that point where like, is this really all there is?

I'd finished youth director, I was doing our other business, but nothing was for me. You know, nothing was lighting me up. I know you talk about that in the book where you just kind of like are going through the motions, but you're like. [00:04:00] This isn't my passion. Where, where can I use these skills? And I kept thinking, what am I gonna do?

What am I gonna do? But through our health crisis, me, I didn't know it was perimenopause, I had gained 30 me pounds, seemed like out of nowhere. So exhausted. I thought it was 'cause I was raising, raising teenagers, but I wasn't in it. I could not think clearly. Like one day at the, uh, grocery store.

I forgot my pin number that I entered every day and I'm like. It just was gone. Right. And so there was all these signs, you're noticing these changes, changes there, these little things. But I didn't know it because of course the doctor didn't say anything. Mm-hmm. And at the very same time, my husband Brady was diagnosed with three autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and lupus, and was put on some very harsh immunosuppressant drugs.

Mm-hmm. That were like chemo every weekend. We were struggling. Yeah. But I was determined. I love to learn, so I [00:05:00] did so much research and we went through an autoimmune protocol diet that kind of took us off a lot of inflammatory foods. And boy did I pray hard because Brady was not on board with doing this at first, but I was like, please just try it because nothing else is working.

And it was life changing. We slowly both got our health back. He, after a year of doing it, was able to get off all the drugs and has been off of them since. He controls his autoimmune with diet, the right supplements and. Making sure sleep and stress stay, stay under control. 

Wow. And, and since then our, we have two daughters that have celiac that have figured it out from this. We all talk about kind of before and after we did that reset because it changed our family's health, legacy, and Wow.

Inflammation is a big part of the struggle of menopause. So, so it was, I was learning it through him, but it [00:06:00] was helping me and so a lot of times, you know, that next business idea or whatever comes from what you struggled through. We hit rock bottom. Struggling hard with our health.

It was hard to run our business when we were not feeling great, and I kept praying. I was like, God, if you'll just show me the answers, lead me to the answers, and I promise I won't keep it a secret. And so that has been my mission to make sure people know that there is something you can do. It is within your control to get that inflammation down, to get your hormones in balance, to feel amazing for the second act.

Mm. . So that's, that's kind of been my transition and I've used skills from every job that I've had to build on to get to here. 

Shannon Russell: You've healed your family through these other means and you said, okay, I don't wanna keep it a secret. I'm gonna create my own health and wellness [00:07:00] business to be able to help others.

And how did you go about that? Because that's a. Much bigger undertaking to now take what you've learned and offer it to others. So what was kind of the planning and mindset to create your own business? 

Jenny Waters: I felt the stirring and listening to podcasts. I, I love to listen to podcasts like yours. I had heard, uh, Sean Stevenson, he's a model health show and he ha he mentioned one time this coaching program.

Institute of Transformational Nutrition, ITN. You know when you hear something and you just already know, this is it. It was a big investment. It was, it was gonna take like eight to months to a year to go through all the training. It was really root cause, focused.

It involved faith, you know, all the different habits. Mm-hmm. To like whole health and I just knew that was what I had to do and I like a process, the engineer in me. Mm-hmm. So I [00:08:00] went through the training and it helped build the business, but then I just kept taking courses, watching others, and I am not a marketing creative person to, in the beginning.

But I've learned to get there and learn different ways to express myself and advertise what I teach. It lights me up to help women 'cause I just remember just crying a lot after doctor's appointments at home, looking in the mirror. It's like, who is this person? I shouldn't feel like this at this age.

And I like had too much. To look forward to, to feel like that. Mm-hmm. And so I don't want any woman to stay stuck there. And a lot of times it takes. Several doctors to find the right one. And you need somebody in your corner cheering you on, not shaming you, teaching you how to take the small steps when you have no energy to do the big things.

Shannon Russell: Exactly. And so often, I just had this conversation with one of my best friends about her being at her OB, [00:09:00] GYN, saying, I'm having all these signs, is it perimenopause? And the doctor said, oh no, it's okay. It'll pass. And she came to me and was like. It's not passing. Like why would they say that? And because there's so many doctors and people who just don't know the root causes of this and the fact that you've studied it and you've seen a difference, you're the person to go to, to help and and to see how you transformed your life and you're still learning as you help others.

Is incredible. Yes. 

Jenny Waters: Yes. I, I've, I had one, my general practitioner tell me that it was just aging and that that's just what happens. And then my, my ob, GYN that delivered all three of my girls didn't believe in hormones and Wow. So like it was Santa Claus or something? Yes. Oh my goodness. So it just took me forever to find those answers.

Hormone therapy is, I, I'm a big believer in it. It's not the magic pill. You do have to make the lifestyle changes too. [00:10:00] What worked in our thirties just isn't gonna carry us to a healthy, older age. Now there's things you have to do differently, but I promise you it's worth it. It is. 

Shannon Russell: And so you call yourself a a transformational nutrition coach.

Jenny Waters: Yes. Because when you feel good and you really learn the power of food as medicine. It lights you up. Mm-hmm. It gives you the energy to do all the things you love. 

Shannon Russell: And we want to, because we're still young and we're taking care of our kids, and we wanna be there for our grandchildren. And Yes, and you and I were just talking about our parents who are from a different generation and they're getting older and we wanna take the power at this age to learn and do the things now so that we are as healthy, like Betty White when we're in our nineties.

Right. We just Exactly. 

Jenny Waters: Exactly. I thought about it so much when I was raising my girls. I wanted to be a good example for them. Mm-hmm. Well, now is even more important. I'm gonna be a good example of how fun it is to get older [00:11:00] that you, , if you take good care of yourself, you have the, the energy to travel where you want to, to do all the things you want to.

I wanna show them that getting old doesn't suck. Yeah. And so I know they're watching me because they, they make changes as they see I'm making changes. I'm trying to influence the older generation, but some of it is just, it's too late. And you kind of have to learn from your parents how they aged, what did they do right?

And what did they get wrong? That's your pathway forward to change how you're gonna age. My grandparents died young and I had four great aunts, two great aunts that like to sit in their recliner, watch their soap operas, plan their next doctor's appointments. And then I had two that were active into their nineties.

One rode a water slide with me for her first time in her seventies. My other gradient, like got a gold medal in line [00:12:00] dancing when she was in her eighties. I wanna age like them. Like the Betty Whites. Yeah. And so I've gotta do the things now to get there. Mm. 

Shannon Russell: And we were talking, , about a passage in my book.

Start your second. Oh, yes, yes. That is about, how I talk about making a change in your life and making a transformation for your grandparents who may not have had the opportunity and you shared something that was making us both a little emotional, if you'd like to share it with us. 

Jenny Waters: Yes. When, when I read that line, Shannon, I had not thought about it.

But my grandmother died in her forties from a blood clot, from a hysterectomy, and of course it was. Probably caused by perimenopause. Her doctors didn't know anything about that. And so now I am shouting from the rooftops for women to know that hormone therapy and lifestyle adjustments can change that outcome.

And so I, I do feel. [00:13:00] Inspired to help people so they don't have like her outcome. And I know she would be proud of this. I never got to meet her, but it just, when I read that outta your book, it just, it hit me. I was like, I'm doing this for her too. You are, 

Shannon Russell: you are. And you're giving yourself that longevity that she unfortunately didn't have, and you're making the most of it.

Yes. In an energetic, like, healthy way. Yes. , That's making an impact on your daughters and your future grandchildren and all of it, and I wanna really talk about your programs that you offer to your clients, and especially your YouTube channel. So tell us about that, because you make incredible content that is so relatable on YouTube, and I think it's a great free resource for people to go and really learn more about you and what you offer too.

Jenny Waters: Yes, I, I have loved doing YouTube. I've done it for like really consistently for the last two years. I talk about nutrition, I show you meal plans, ideas. I'm never gonna give you a strict meal plan [00:14:00] because I think everyone has their own tastes and preferences. I tell you about exercise and sleep, and I am coming from the person that was where you are.

I was not always skinny during my thirties while I was raising kids. But it really, the, the lifestyle changes that I, I share with you on YouTube are small, doable things. Because a lot of times we get that diet mentality where you think, okay, where's the list of no food? I can't have these foods.

I can't have these, what am I supposed to do? And you can only do that for a short amount of time. Mm-hmm. That's not the way you create good habits. Instead, you start really small. Get that habit locked in, like adding vegetables to your plate. You know, some people don't even eat vegetables. If you could just add one of your favorites every day until that becomes a habit, then you add on one more thing and you keep layering it on, and each, [00:15:00] with each step, you're building that healthy lifestyle that you enjoy and can stick to.

And so that's what my YouTube channel is all about. I hope to inspire you to make those small changes, and I show you how. 

Shannon Russell: Jenny Waters Wellness. Okay. Jenny Waters Wellness. I'll link everything in the show notes as well. Yes. And tell us about your program. So you have an incredible program to work with people.

Jenny Waters: Yes. So I, I like to do. I have to do one-on-one coaching because everyone is different, and I think I hate cookie cutter diets or workout plans where you're just handed this and you're off on your own. So I have two options. You can either get Voxer coached or Zoom Coach. Voxer is like a walkie talkie kind of app where we talk back and forth.

But I have the Thrive Method where I teach you simple habits. We go through different nutrition education. Where you're balancing your hormones, your blood sugar, you're getting enough fiber, we're talking about protein and carbs. Then we get into the [00:16:00] inflammation and of course sugar, we have to address that, but it's not in an overwhelming way.

You move on when you're ready and you learn how to do it, and then I'm there to help you put it into real practice. Mm-hmm. Because I want this to be super doable. If it, if you get overwhelmed, then you're not gonna stick to it, and I want you to stick to this and build that healthy lifestyle. 

Shannon Russell: It's a perfect amount of education and accountability. 

Jenny Waters: Yeah, and it's, it's less than 30 minutes a week to learn the, the skills, and then I help you put 'em into action. And I, I've, I've done the habit coaching, the inflammation diet, the anti-inflammatory diet, and now I've pulled this all together because I think you need all the tools in a simple way to really put it into practice and make it doable.

Because I believe our second act is we are meant to thrive in all ways, but you gotta have your health so that you can do all the other things. Mm-hmm.

[00:17:00] 

Shannon Russell: And, and you learned different things at this stage. I was just thinking to myself this morning, I've never been a coffee drinker, and that might be crazy to people.

I've literally never drank coffee in my life. 

Today I woke up and I had a little bit less energy than normal and I said. Oh my gosh, what if I have to start drinking coffee in my forties? Because I just felt like something is shifting. I've never worried about my energy, but it's not the coffee.

It's other things that I can do. Obviously. Yes. But it's like you start to think like you wanna listen to your body more and what do you need? Yes. And, and for women who are listening, who either have started a new business or thinking about making a change. You wanna make sure that you can handle even the emotional impact, the emotional and mental of making that change.

And those stress levels are real when you're starting a business of your own. 

Jenny Waters: Owning your own business, you have a lot on your plate. 'cause you're everything. Yeah. You're the bookkeeper, you're the marketer, you're everything. So you gotta have the energy. Mm-hmm. And you gotta have the [00:18:00] stress. At a manageable level, knowing how to deal with that. And you gotta get good sleep.

Unfortunately in midlife, those all take work. So you gotta put in a routine that makes. Have a better chance of getting there. 

Shannon Russell: Right. Then can, you can have the success then if you feel like you're ready to go and then you can take control.

Yes. I guess it's like that theme we're talking about is just taking control of your life at this age. Yes. And making that second act what you want it to be in all aspects. Yes. 

Jenny Waters: Because your health shouldn't be like a second job. Once you get it in, dialed in and get that routine. Then you don't have to focus on it.

It's just part of who you are and it frees you up to be creative and pursue things that you never thought you could. 

Shannon Russell: You're just glowing as you talk about this. So I wanna ask like, how has creating this business for you and going out there on your own, your life for the better? 

Jenny Waters: It's given me my confidence back.

Like it, I, I get to see the gifts God gave me in a new way. [00:19:00] Yeah. And I just, I just feel called to talk about it. I'm, I'm the person at the gym when someone asks, I'm like, oh, I know what, what you can do. Or at the grocery store when they're having a hot flash, I'm like, Hmm, I can help you.

I, you know, it's when you can't keep it a secret and you just mm-hmm. Feel so called to share. That's, that's what excites me. And I, and I love the challenge of doing new things. And this YouTube, oh my goodness, I, I did not start well, but it's getting better every day. And the learning that, and just meeting other business women.

Has helped too. You know, we've gotten a circle of people that understand where we're coming from and it's, it's been fun. 

Shannon Russell: I agree. I feel like everything you said I can relate to because it's, you are so excited about what you're creating for yourself, that you wanna share it with others, and I know that you feel this way.

Working with clients and you see their success and them making that transformation, whether it's starting a business or getting healthy. Yes. And you're just, it lights you up and you're [00:20:00] like, this is why I'm doing this. And yes. You just feel like just you found your purpose and that's what you Oh, 

Jenny Waters: that is a hundred percent, yes.

When I can help somebody overcome this old food story where they, these habits that they've gotten in and their parents told 'em that, you know, it's just, it's so fun to help them make those small changes and then how they teach their kids how to do it or how they, you know, pass that along. That's what we're called to do is make be the light for other people.

All right, it's time for our five fast cues of the week. Here we go.

Shannon Russell: name one thing that these different chapters in your life have taught you 

Jenny Waters: that that God's not done with me yet, that.

Every phase there's something new coming along, and I'm gonna continue to be excited about what comes next, as long as I'm open to it. 

Shannon Russell: Would you recommend taking a leap into a big life change to your best friend? 

Jenny Waters: Yes. Yes. I think it's exciting. [00:21:00] I, I do think you can plan for it, just like your book outlines how to do that.

But yes, I think. The people that don't take that leap, just their world starts to shrink. But if you do take that leap, it just opens up. Even if you don't succeed the first time, it, it just lights you up and excites you and gives you a purpose to to work towards. 

Shannon Russell: What is one piece of advice that you would give to someone who's about to start their second act?

Jenny Waters: Pray a lot. Be brave and get a circle of supporters with you. It might not be your family and friends, it might be somebody outside that, someone who doesn't know you as that, but get your support network in there because you're gonna need it. But just know that God's got something bigger planned for you.

Shannon Russell: Well, what is maybe your next act? What are you thinking about for down the road for you? Jenny Waters. 

Jenny Waters: Ooh, that's a [00:22:00] good question. I hope my girls have to cooperate, but I hope grandparents, being a grandparent is somewhere in the near future. But, I just continue to just keep growing and praying that God's gonna use me in new ways.

Mm-hmm. Because I, I just keep. I I'm in a good spot right now, but I know there's more to come. 

Shannon Russell: Being open to it, I think is the whole key, right? Yes. Just being open to what the next adventure is. Yes. 

Jenny Waters: Never say never, because a lot of times that's gonna come back and be shown to you in a different way.

'cause I've, I've said never public speaking, never own a business, you know, lots of nevers. And that's usually, it is not the case. I get to do it anyway. So. 

Shannon Russell: I love it. Well, this has been so much fun. Where can my listeners follow you and connect with you? Tell us all the places. 

Jenny Waters: Okay. YouTube is my favorite, Jenny Waters Wellness, and my website is jenny waters wellness.com.

Easy to remember, [00:23:00] but if you find me on YouTube. I am who you see on, on the video. I don't know how to be pretentious, but you get to know me very well there, so I hope you'll join me there. 

Shannon Russell: Oh yeah, I can attest to that. And really just so much great information and content over there. It really is a great place to get to know you and then.

Work with you, that one-on-one, individual accountability and coaching is fantastic too. 

Jenny Waters: Yes, please join me in the Thrive Method if, if you need somebody in your corner to help you walk through those small lifestyle changes that are gonna get your energy back. 

Shannon Russell: Hmm, we all need that. So I'm looking forward to working with Jenny very soon too.

But Jenny, thank you so much for being here. Thank you for sharing so much about your journey and your family and your business, and I absolutely love everything that you're doing to help other women as well. So thank you. Well, 

Jenny Waters: thank you Shannon. And I have to say, go get Shannon's book. It was the book I wish I had [00:24:00] when I was in my forties and I was feeling called to something else.

Gives the perfect roadmap. I wish I had had that plan at that time. Hmm. Thank you. That means so much to me. Coming from you. Thank 

Shannon Russell: you.

Thank you for joining us. I hope you found some gems of inspiration and some takeaways to help you on your path to second act, success. To view show notes from this episode, visit second act success.co. Before you go, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode. Reviews only take a few moments and they really do mean so much.

Thank you again for listening. I'm Shannon Russell. And this is second act success.