New Podcast: She Wasn't Born Yesterday - Hope 103.2

New Podcast: She Wasn’t Born Yesterday

Join Janet and Dr Amelia as they have a good laugh and a little cry, leaving listeners slightly more equipped to take on the world!

By Joni BoydFriday 1 Mar 2024She Wasn't Born YesterdayPodcastsReading Time: 5 minutes

How do you deal with the ‘pause’? How do you know you’re dating someone with a narcissistic personality disorder? How do you move on from divorce? These are just a few topics tackled in the new Hope 103.2 podcast She Wasn’t Born Yesterday.

Featuring former M&C Saatchi advertising creative Janet Evans, and sexual and relationship therapist Dr Amelia Haines chatting with an array of high-profile guests, She Wasn’t Born Yesterday delves into the huge range of issues confronting women who are 40+.

“So many unique issues affect women of our age, including empty nest syndrome, and nothing’s off limits in She Wasn’t Born Yesterday!,” Janet says.

“We really dive headfirst into them but hopefully with lightness and relevant wit where possible. We are incredibly lucky to chat to some very high-profile guests, including CEOs of important organisations, who share their expertise with us and our audience.”

So many unique issues affect women of our age, including empty nest syndrome, and nothing’s off limits in She Wasn’t Born Yesterday!

“We think women (and hopefully guys too) will resonate with topics from homelessness to women using porn, caring for aging parents, through to financial planning and makeup tips!” Amelia says.

“Our guests lend so many insights into all the topics, even the audio engineers at Hope said how much they were enlightened and entertained.”

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As the authors of Australia’s first book on empty nest syndrome Empty Next, the ‘Empty Nest Chicks’, as they’re affectionally called, avoid no contentious topic and leave no stone unturned.

Meet the hosts

Having met 15+ years ago, the pair hit it off instantly, loving each other’s irreverence and talking endlessly. In fact, they’re still taking today, and listeners have the privilege of listening in on their conversations via She Wasn’t Born Yesterday!

“Even the audio engineers at Hope said how much they were enlightened and entertained.” – Amelia

“When I first met Dr Amelia in our local church, we clicked straight away,” Janet says.

“She’s wickedly funny, whip smart and yet, strangely sort of ladylike. She speaks very well, whereas I sound more like Kath Day Knight. We discovered we both liked dark humour and could have a good laugh at lots of things in life that are left of centre. Over the years, we came in and out of each other’s orbits, but stayed connected via the same circles. Then crises happened in both our lives.”

These crises looked very different for both women, but their experiences ignited an idea.

“When I was diagnosed with MS, it was actually quite a relief,” Amelia says.

“Being a doctor, I envisaged that the symptoms indicated it was something much worse. However, it’s not easy knowing it’s a progressive disease and needs management every single day of my life. It often means not having the energy or strength to do many of the things I’d like and life has become extremely complicated, juggling family, work, endless therapy sessions, hospital visits and a new trial drug. Yes, MS is a trial!”

“She’s wickedly funny, whip smart and yet, strangely sort of ladylike. She speaks very well, whereas I sound more like Kath Day Knight.” – Janet

At the same time, Janet’s 21-year-old son left home suddenly during COVID to get married in a crisis that was, in her own words, “much less permanent but still emotionally crushing.”

“They turned the wedding around in 8 hours so we could be there,” Janet says.

“But afterwards I had a serious bout of empty nest syndrome, a grief I’d never had before. I just missed him terribly and looking around for help, I didn’t find much that wasn’t clinical or cheesy.”

Janet decided to write a book about it, to help other parents going through the same thing. Needing a professional overlay to give it “some rigour and a distinct other voice,” Janet reached out to Amelia who was by now, in her own season of difficulty.

“Over time I’ve come to realise, she is in fact incredibly caring and smart, which she sometimes hides behind a mask of humour.” – Amelia

“Meels was the perfect choice,” Janet says.

“However, she had no idea that glass-completely-full me was going through this. So Empty Next was hatched and dispatched and on social media we became the Empty Nest Chicks. But in writing the book, we realised there are so many unique things affecting us women at this 40+ fabulous phase of life and people aren’t talking about those either.”

“When I met Janet, I immediately thought who is this crazy woman?” Amelia says.

“But over time I’ve come to realise, she is in fact incredibly caring and smart, which she sometimes hides behind a mask of humour. So, when she told me she was devastated about her son leaving home and wanted to co-author a book about it, it was an absolute wake up call to me. That we all need to check in regularly on our friends and that people aren’t always what they seem.”

For Amelia, her work as a sexual health therapist and relationship counsellor means that her days often consist of extremely frank conversations with patients about their sexual habits.

The hosts approach topics and people from quite diverse points of view.

“Sometimes I forget this isn’t ‘everyday’ for other people!” she says.

“But I really appreciate people coming to see me because it means they acknowledge they need help in certain areas of their life and that’s a brave and important step to take.”

“As we always knew, Janet and I love a good chat about anything and everything and we’re so different in our styles,” Amelia says and explains that while Janet is quite hyper at times, she is content to “cruise along, trying to maintain some sort of professional demeanour, as well as being a mum to five kids and someone who hopefully has a sense of humour.”

A fresh perspective

The hosts approach topics and people from quite diverse points of view, which is why it works so well.

“We both feel the topics affecting women 40+ need to be talked about and ladies need to realise the truth about aging and how to live their best possible life,” Amelia says.

“We hope men as well as women, and quite frankly people of all ages, find them interesting and informative, and maybe just a little entertaining. And if they ever need some counselling, I know just the person they can see.”

Join Janet and Dr Amelia as they sit and chat with doctors, King’s Counsels, CEOs and former Premiers in this podcast, having a good laugh, a little cry and leaving listeners slightly more informed and equipped to take on the world!

Listen to the SWBY trailer in the listener above.

She Wasn’t Born Yesterday is available to stream on all platforms from International Women’s Day, 8 March, 2024.