All Episodes

August 18, 2025 29 mins

What if the life you’ve built no longer fits? In this candid, hope-filled episode, author of A Grown Up’s Gap Year, wellbeing commentator and host Monique van Tulder, interviews fellow author, editor and Fit HIIT Pilates founder, Melinda Louise Hutchings, to talk reinvention, no regrets, and why it’s never too late to rewrite your next chapter.

Melinda Louise Hutchings - who not only contributed a powerful chapter to A Grown Up’s Gap Year, but also edited the book.

Melinda knows what it’s like to take a moment to plan a fresh start - from leaving a life that no longer felt right, to retraining, relocating, and rewriting her own rules. We talk about what really happens when you stop saying “one day” and begin instead.

This episode is for anyone hovering at the edge of change:

  • If you’re wondering whether it’s too late (it’s not)
  • If you’ve been collecting “maybe later” dreams
  • If you need to borrow someone else’s courage before you can claim your own

Melinda shares how she let go of the known, handled pushback, and discovered the unexpected joys of beginning again. We also talk ageing with purpose, rewriting mid-life myths, and the power of Pilates (yes, really).

Episode Resources & Links:


📚 Get your copy of A Grown Up’s Gap Year the book, from Amazon, moniquevantulder.com, bookshops and libraries, subscribe to the podcast, and take the first step toward your own A Grown Up’s Gap Year.

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

The Male Room with Dr. Jesse Mills

The Male Room with Dr. Jesse Mills

As Director of The Men’s Clinic at UCLA, Dr. Jesse Mills has spent his career helping men understand their bodies, their hormones, and their health. Now he’s bringing that expertise to The Male Room — a podcast where data-driven medicine meets common sense. Each episode separates fact from hype, science from snake oil, and gives men the tools to live longer, stronger, and happier lives. With candor, humor, and real-world experience from the exam room and the operating room, Dr. Mills breaks down the latest health headlines, dissects trends, and explains what actually works — and what doesn’t. Smart, straightforward, and entertaining, The Male Room is the show that helps men take charge of their health without the jargon.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.