What I Expected

3 Episodes
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By: Holly Bohn Pittman

Welcome to What I Expected—a podcast for women in their 30s, 40s, and 50s about what to really expect, before you experience it. So much about getting older has changed since your grandmother's day, and the advice she used to pass down doesn't always fit the world you're actually living in. Think of this as that same wisdom, updated for modern life—your toolkit for the changes, the purchases, and the moments you wish someone had prepped you for. What to ask, what to plan for, before you spend your money, your time, or your peace of mind.Except it's...

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Hair After 40: Thinning, Gray, Frizz, and What You Can Do About It
#3
Today at 9:00 AM

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Your ponytail's suspiciously thinner, your texture's changed, the grays multiplied, and suddenly your hair requires a negotiation. I sit down with Sherry Diedrich—my stylist for more than a decade, and someone who's guided women through this exact shift for 40 years (and lived it herself). This is basically what you'd hear in a salon chair from someone who isn't trying to go viral.

We cover thinning vs. breakage, what actually helps thinning hair, gray strategy, dryness and frizz, heat and color damage, why DIY color is a bad idea if you wa...


Watches 101: The "No-Stupid-Questions" Guide to Buying a Nice Watch
#2
08/25/2026

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Have you wanted to buy a "nice" watch but were too embarrassed to ask the basic questions at the counter? This one's for you. I sit down with Sara Seifert, Publisher of WatchTime Magazine, to answer all the questions people are afraid to ask when buying a fancy watch.

Fair warning: this topic is a lot — watches are the kind of hobby that starts with "I just want one nice watch" and ends with spreadsheets. We're covering the essentials here, but you can already tell we'll need a Part 2.

He...


Pilates: What to Expect Before Your First Lesson
#1
08/18/2026

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Pilates has been having a moment online lately, especially reformer Pilates — and I remember exactly how overwhelming that felt when I was starting out. In this episode, I sit down with Amy Ulmer, a certified Pilates instructor I personally train with and trust, to break it all down in plain English.

I've been practicing Pilates for about 25 years, and I can't imagine my life without it — it transformed my body and put an end to the muscle strains and random spasms that used to leave me flat on my back for days...