154: The Good Listening To Show with Chris Grimes - Episode 154154: The Good Listening To Show with Chris Grimes - Episode 154
UK Health Radio Podcast
Chris Grimes chats with life coach Mary Van Ica about her founder story and her programme "The Me I Forgot", created for midlife women who feel they’ve lost themselves in caregiving or careers. Through personal stories and gentle humour, they talk about identity, purpose and planning a more intentional next chapter.
32:53•24 Jan 2026
Rediscovering the "Me I Forgot" with Coach Mary Van Ica
Episode Overview
- Mary describes "The Me I Forgot" as a four-week rediscovery programme for women who feel they’ve lost themselves through years of caregiving or career focus.
- She shares how triggers like a pension letter and her eldest child leaving home pushed her to ask what the next chapter of her life should look like.
- Mary links her coaching work to years of hearing from women in corporate and tech roles who face menopause, changing family dynamics and grief over shifting identities.
- The programme aims to help women "rediscover who they are" and reignite old or new dreams so they can shape a clear vision for retirement or semi-retirement.
- Through personal family stories, including her father’s journey from Liverpool docks to postmaster, Mary highlights the power of "vision, determination, and audacity".
“"If my dad can do it with as little support and education that he did, anybody can do it. You just need the vision, the determination, and the audacity."”
What remarkable journeys have people faced head-on against addiction? This time, the focus shifts to women in midlife who feel they've somehow lost themselves along the way. The Good Listening To Show, hosted by Chris Grimes, spotlights life coach and founder Mary Van Ica as she shares the story behind her new signature programme, "The Me I Forgot".
Aimed at women roughly between 45 and 60, especially those buried in caregiving or long careers, Mary talks about that moment when life sends a wake-up call – a pension letter, a child leaving home, or the weight of menopause and ageing parents.
She explains how these transitions can leave women asking, "what's next?" and describes her programme as a way to "help women rediscover who they are, rediscover what their passions are, lights their fire up" so they can shape a clear vision for the years ahead. You’ll also get a feel for the show’s playful structure.
Chris guides Mary through his signature storytelling framework – "the clearing", "some alchemy, some gold, a couple of random squirrels, a cheeky bit of Shakespeare, a golden baton, and a cake" – all centred on stories rather than music. It’s part reflective conversation, part warm-hearted theatre.
Mary brings in rich, grounded examples: her own reaction to her eldest child leaving home, the shock of being told her pension needs to move to "safer bonds", and the quiet grief of shifting identity after decades of caring and working. She also draws on her years in corporate life and supporting women in tech, acknowledging the "bereft nature of what's left" when old roles fall away.
If you’re curious about midlife reinvention, purpose, or simply hearing a candid founder story, this conversation offers a gentle nudge to ask yourself: is there a "me" you forgot, and is it time to bring her back?
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