Episode 4: Catherine Tuton

There are certain dreams that refuse to leave us alone.

We can put them aside. Convince ourselves the timing isn’t right. Get busy building a life that looks perfectly responsible and reasonable.

But somewhere beneath all that living, they’re still there.

Waiting.

For years, I carried one of those dreams.

I wanted to sit across from extraordinary people and hear their stories. Not just the beautiful parts, but the messy experiences that shaped them. The things they overcame. The moments that changed everything.

And I wanted to create a place where those conversations could reach someone who needed to hear them.

What I didn’t know was how much life would change before I finally found myself sitting behind this microphone.

When Life Changes Everything

September 16, 2018.

I remember that date because it was the day my life as I knew it changed.

A life-altering breakup pulled the rug out from underneath me, leaving me to question so much of what I’d believed was certain.

Then came 2020.

Like everyone else, I watched the world shut down around me. And just four months into the pandemic, shortly after turning 45, I had a heart attack.

I spent a week in cardiac intensive care, surrounded by uncertainty, with more time to think than I ever wanted.

And one realization became impossible to ignore.

Time isn’t guaranteed.

Not for me. Not for any of us.

Somewhere between the heartbreak, the pandemic, and that hospital bed, I began to understand that the dream I’d been carrying couldn’t wait forever.

Your Story Matters. And So Does What You Do With It.

Here’s something I’ve learned about getting older.

The experiences that make us who we are aren’t always the ones we would have chosen.

Sometimes they’re painful. Sometimes they’re humbling. Sometimes they leave us wondering whether we’ll ever feel like ourselves again.

But they can give us something we didn’t have before: a different perspective.

One that makes us more curious about other people. More willing to listen. More aware of how much we have in common beneath the surface.

That’s a big part of why I created The Catherine Tuton Show.

I believe the conversations we have in midlife can be some of the most meaningful of our lives.

I want to hear from people who’ve lived through something and have something to say about it.

People who’ve taken risks, made mistakes, started over, and found their way forward.

And I want you to hear their stories, too.

Because maybe there’s a dream you’ve been putting off.

A conversation you’ve been afraid to have.

A part of yourself you’ve been keeping quiet because you’re worried about what someone might think.

I understand that fear more than you know.

Sharing your story isn’t always comfortable. Even getting to this microphone has required me to confront some of my own fears.

But I’ve also learned how important it is to have people who remind you who you are when you’ve forgotten.

That’s what I hope these conversations can become for you.

A reminder of what’s possible. A new perspective. A little borrowed courage when you need it.

And perhaps the encouragement to finally do the thing that’s been calling you.

In this first solo episode, I’m sharing more of my own story, the experiences that brought me here, and what finding purpose in midlife has come to mean to me.

I hope you’ll hear a little of your own story in mine.

xo, 💋
Catherine