Female Fluence

What did you think of the podcast? Send your comments here! Join the Female Elevation Facebook Group to access the Summit and our incredible live speakers in the month of February! Ready to sign up to speak? I have all the information on my website. “Free Birding” is an empowering reframe of the traditional idea of empty nesting, shifting the narrative from loss to liberation. This episode explores how midlife can become a season of renewal, freedom, and self-reclamation once children leave home. Rather than focusing on what’s gone, Free Birding celebrates what’s opening: space, possibility, creativity, and choice. This conversation centers on the idea that raising children who are ready to fly is a success, not an ending. With the sky open again, midlife becomes a powerful invitation to reconnect with identity, pursue long-held dreams, explore new careers, deepen relationships, travel, and step fully into a long-awaited second act. Guest Spotlight Paria Hassouri is an Iranian-American pediatrician, author, and advocate whose writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and Huffington Post. She is the author of the memoir Found in Transition: A Mother’s Evolution During Her Child’s Gender Change and the novel Harvesting Rosewater. Based in Los Angeles, she provides gender-affirming healthcare for trans and gender-diverse youth and speaks widely on identity, motherhood, and midlife transformation. Key Insights Empty nesting can be reframed as a midlife awakening rather than a lossFree Birding is about reclaiming identity, time, and personal freedomMidlife transitions often unlock creativity, courage, and reinventionPast experiences shape midlife growth but don’t have to define itReinvention is possible at any age, and often multiple times Episode Summary This episode of the Female Fluence Podcast explores Free Birding as a modern, empowering lens on midlife and empty nesting. The conversation highlights how this life stage can become a renaissance, inviting women to reconnect with themselves after years of prioritizing others. Through reflections on identity, motherhood, cultural memory, and personal evolution, this episode reframes midlife as a powerful second act. Instead of grieving what’s ended, listeners are encouraged to honor what’s opening: freedom, creativity, and a deeper alignment with who they truly are becoming. Connect with Paria 🌐 Website: pari Pearl Mashour is a Master Women Empowerment Coach, Life Coach & Multiple Subject Credentialed Teacher. Take the Self Reflection Quiz "Are You Living in Alignment?" Learn more about Pearl Mashour at www.femalefluence.com Connect with me on IG @pearlmashour_femalefluence Follow along on TikTok Subscribe on YouTube Connect with me on FB @femalefluence Email: info@femalefluence.org