Reframing Me - Self-Development & Parenting Teens for Midlife Moms

Your kids are growing up - but so are you. Reframing Me is the podcast for moms of teens ready to reframe family, identity, and self-development in midlife.

Parenting teens is hard -and parenting while rediscovering yourself in midlife can feel even harder. Reframing Me is the parenting podcast for moms raising teenagers who are also navigating the transition out of hands-on motherhood, identity shifts, and the search for balance, fulfillment, and self-development.

Hosted by Dr. Jennifer Brubaker, a Communication Studies professor, mom of three teens, and intrapersonal communication expert, each episode blends family communication strategies, honest conversations about parenting teens, and self-reflection tools to help moms strengthen family relationships while rediscovering who they are as women.

Together we’ll talk about the issues moms face but don’t always say out loud: changing family dynamics, feeling invisible, letting go of control, and creating new purpose. Through research, theory, and compassionate conversation, you’ll find support, strategies, and a sense of community in this season of parenting and personal growth.

Join the Reframing Me community to connect with other midlife moms, share your stories, and reframe how you see yourself, your family, and your future.

Send emails to jen@reframing-me.com; or on socials: Reframing Me on FacebookAND join the Facebook group Reframing Me: The Podcast Community; @reframingme on Instagram; Reframing Me on YouTube @reframingme on TikTok

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Reframing Me - Self-Development & Parenting Teens for Midlife Moms

You DO only live ONCE: Kris' Matrenaissance

April 04, 2025 • Jennifer Brubaker • Episode 192

0:00 | 36:07

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When Kris Janik realized that "you only live once!" also meant, "you DO ONLY live ONCE," she realized that she wanted to make it really mean something special - something that she and her family could be proud of. In this third episode of our Matrenaissance series, I have a conversation with contemporary artist and mother of three, Kris Janik, to explore the beautiful, nonlinear journey of rediscovering yourself after years spent in roles that serve everyone but you.

Kris opens up about her early career, her 15+ years as a stay-at-home mom, and the powerful transformation that led her to embrace her identity as a self-taught artist. At the heart of her Matrenaissance is not only creativity, but also healing — including her deeply personal journey with sobriety.

Through painting, travel, motherhood, and recovery, Kris found a way back to herself — one brushstroke at a time. Her story is one of evolution, resilience, and the courage to reclaim joy on your own terms.

This episode is part of our March Matrenaissance series, highlighting real women who have reimagined their identity, purpose, and power in midlife.

Whether you’re craving creativity, navigating motherhood, exploring sobriety, or simply wondering what’s next, Kris’s story is a powerful reminder: your evolution is not only possible — it’s beautiful.

Please help me with my Matrenaissance Identity Theory of Communication research by completing a completely anonymous survey at https://forms.gle/WunxbwZ7L1MmvWEF6

This research has been approved by the UNCW Institutional Review Board.

Check out Kris' art @krisjanikart on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/krisjanikart/)

Keywords:

Matrenaissance, midlife transformation, sobriety journey, identity shift, women over 40, self-discovery, creativity after motherhood, stay-at-home mom to artist, Kris Janik, Reframing Me podcast, coastal art, motherhood and recovery, personal growth in midlife

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