In this deeply personal conversation about legacy, grief, and what it means to be remembered by the people closest to you, Tami and Lisa reflect on family loss, caregiving, dementia, and the strange mix of laughter and tears that comes with mourning through the memories.

Tami opens with the idea of “grieving myself” and connects it to legacy, asking what we want to leave behind and how we want to be remembered. She shares memories of her parents, who died within ten weeks of each other after 71 years of marriage, and reflects on the tenderness, anticipation, and emotional weight surrounding their final months.

The two friends explore the question of writing your own eulogy and how naming the qualities you want remembered can shape how you live now. The conversation turns to the difference between how casual acquaintances and loved ones remember us, with emphasis on the people who truly know our whole selves.

Lisa shares that she lost her husband Dan to dementia just over a month ago, after a six-year illness, and describes the long, ongoing grief that begins even before death. She and the Tami discuss “double mourning” with dementia, grieving both the person and the relationship as memory and personality change.

A story about crying at Target becomes a turning point in the discussion about emotional permission, especially for boys and children who are often taught to hide sadness. They compare grief to waves, unpredictable and cyclical, with small moments sometimes hitting harder than expected.

The episode closes with a powerful reminder that grief intensity often matches the depth of love, and that memories can eventually shift from painful to comforting. *Please follow and share this podcast with your friends. And leaving a review helps us get found by more listeners. Thanks so much! Tami & Lisa

Tami Romani and Lisa Michele unpack the fitness pillar of Empty Nest Empires, focusing on how movement changes with age and why the goal should be joy, not punishment. They share personal stories from their 20s through midlife, plus practical ways to build consistency without trying to recreate the workouts of decades past.In this episode, Tami and Lisa discuss how fitness needs shift over time, how injuries and health scares change priorities, and why small, sustainable movement habits matter more than extreme routines. They also talk through realistic options like walking, stretching, pickleball, simple weight work, and short daily movement sessions.

Tami Romani and Lisa Michele kick off the reboot of Empty Nest Empires with a conversation about one of the show’s six pillars: fun. They explore how creativity shows up across life stages, from handmade businesses and sewing to knitting, doodling, gardening, and grandparenting. The episode focuses on how to reconnect with creative joy, even when life gets busy or confidence has faded.

In this episode, Tami and Lisa challenge the negative language often attached to midlife and reframe it as a powerful, meaningful season of life. They share a funny and revealing story about thesaurus.com labeling “midlife” as “the wrong side of 40,” and use that as a jumping-off point to explore how language shapes identity, especially for women navigating their 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond.

Tami outlines a new framework for the show built around six pillars:

Fitness

Finance

Friendships

Family

Faith

Fun

These pillars are presented as connected parts of a whole, not separate buckets. The episode emphasizes that each one matters, and that different seasons of life will bring different priorities to the top.

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Hop on the waitlist for what's next here.

Tami and Lisa talk about how EMPIRE can be redefined, and what each letter represents to them personally.

E - Empathy in action

M - Midlife as our launch pad

P - Purpose over perfection

I - Inclusion as a non-negotiable

R - Radically supportive space

E - Empowerment through community

Interested in joining our community? Check out Empty Nest Empire Builders here.

To join the waitlist for our workshop about What's Next for You, click here.

We couldn't let another week go by without our own tribute to Dolly. What an amazing woman! Tami begins by calling her the queen of reinventing herself, but after talking through her life and accomplishments, it's clear she always knew who she was and focused on adding to her life, not pivoting.

We hope you will enjoy our chat, and please let us know what your favorite Dolly memory is.

Highlights: 00:00 Introduction and Personal Reflections on Dolly Parton 04:29 Dolly's Early Life and Career Milestones 09:52 Dolly's Philanthropy and Impact on Education 12:30 Dolly's Reinvention and Legacy 17:32 Dolly's Approach to Life and Politics 23:45 Final Thoughts on Dolly's Influence and Legacy

Jump on the waitlist for the next "What's Next for Me?" Workshop and come away with clarity and a new vision for this next season by clicking here.

Learn more about the Empty Nest Empire Builders community here.

See you next time!

After trying to reboot, restart, and reorganize this podcast several times, Tami finally realized what was missing: a cohost! And not just any cohost, THE cohost she had been talking to about this for two years. Finally together for their first episode, we hope you will enjoy this re-introduction of the Empty Nest Empires podcast and more importantly, that you will laugh along with us! Tami and Lisa

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It was a BIG mistake to tell you a whole year ago that I was back and relaunching this podcast - I was in the middle of breast cancer treatment and we had plans to sell our house and move! What in the world was I thinking?? Then the California wildfires happened (we did not lose our home) and life changed dramatically. Finally coming up for air - so here's an update and a vision for where this podcast hopes to go from here.

Thanks for being here!

If you are interested in joining our community, you can check that out here: Empty Nest Empire Builders

I'm excited for what's ahead for us! Let's make this next season our BEST season!

xo Tami