Graduation, Reinvention, and Midlife Confidence with Laurin Collar

It’s graduation season, and if you're helping your kid pack for college while wondering what’s next for you—this episode is for you.

Laurin Collar is a former TV news anchor turned lifestyle content creator and founder of The Collar Find. She shares how she built a thriving brand in midlife, why she created her College Bound Guide, and how she’s navigating life as a mom of two college-aged daughters.

We talk about:
• Letting go of old roles and starting fresh
• The behind-the-scenes reality of influencer life
• Dorm essentials, move-in tips, and emotional prep
• What it means to build something of your own at 40+

If you're navigating change, craving more purpose, or just need some encouragement—you’ll feel seen in this one.

Connect with Laurin:
@thecollarfind on Instagram
thecollarfind.com

Stay connected with me:
Subscribe to Hello Friday at angiemizzell.com

Transcript

Laurin Collar (00:00)
I am the friend that everyone would text and say, I'm going to this brunch, what appetizers should I take? I'm going to this party, what should I wear?

just decided I felt like I had a voice and I felt like there were no voices for women over 40 out there. so I decided to throw my hat in the ring and give women like me someone they could relate to and that was in the same stage of life they were on Instagram and social media.

we're in that time where our kids are leaving for college and.

Parents are getting sick and passing away and friends are getting sick. And if ever before you need that support group, I feel like it's now.

Angie Mizzell (00:35)
friends, welcome back to More Like You. I'm Angie Mizzell and today we're talking with Laurin Collar a lifestyle content creator and founder of The Collar Find. Laurin and I go way back.

We grew up in the same town, and we both started our careers in TV news. But over the years, Laurin's journey has evolved in such a powerful way. Today she shares how she reinvented herself in midlife, built a thriving online business,

and helps moms prepare for that emotional and practical transition of sending our kids off to college. This episode is a reminder that when one role starts to change, a new purpose can begin.

Angie Mizzell (01:15)
Thank you so much for joining me today. What I like to do with people that I've known for a while is to like start at the beginning. Like let's take it back and then we'll go forward and talk about what you're doing and why the conversation between us is relevant for today. But let's start at the beginning. So we really do go back to middle school, but then in high school we were cheerleaders together.

Angie Mizzell (01:38)
Would you have ever imagined back then that we would be recording a podcast interview together?

Laurin Collar (01:44)
I know, it's so crazy, right? I mean, we kind of had the same high school track, I feel like. And we were both super involved, loved being on the field, loved all the school spirit. And then we kind of paralleled in college. I was at Clemson, you were at Carolina, we both were doing news and going for that big journalism job that was gonna be the end all be all. And then I remember I came to Charleston right out of college and a few years later I heard Angie Mizzell was coming back and I was like, what?

Because I even thought it was neat then when you came back to Charleston and we were both in the field as reporters was kind of fun

Angie Mizzell (02:17)
So what was it like for you breaking into the news business? Because I know for me, growing up in a small town in South Carolina, there was something about news to me that felt like breaking into show business. And in Charleston especially, our news anchors were local celebrities. Yeah, but definitely back then because everyone

Laurin Collar (02:35)
still. Yeah, well, yeah.

Angie Mizzell (02:40)
there wasn't all the streaming and you watched the news and the television was always on. So, what was that like for you breaking into the business and suddenly having a job in Charleston?

Laurin Collar (02:50)
It was

back then they didn't really hire out of college. I don't know if you remember that. And they had hired one girl before me and I interned every Christmas, every summer and came out of college without a job and just went back into intern mode. And a month later they got a new news director and he said, why are you not on camera? And I said, cause I'm just out of college. And he's like, I don't care.

Angie Mizzell (02:54)
Mm-hmm, I do.

Laurin Collar (03:13)
you want this contract? And I'm like, sure, probably should have looked at a little closer, made no money, told him I love doing weather. The next thing I knew I was in meteorology school, but it definitely showed me hard work pays off. Persistence pays off. I'd known I wanted to be in news in eighth grade and everything I did from that point was trying to get me there, including like when I was at Clemson, they didn't have journalism. They do now, but I would like drive to Greenville to YFF and intern there.

Angie Mizzell (03:37)
Right.

Laurin Collar (03:40)
just to soak in every nugget I could. And so I definitely felt like all of that time and work paid off and that was very rewarding. And it was a big lesson to learn too.

Angie Mizzell (03:51)
You knew this path was for you, sooner than I did. I think mine started to develop around my senior year of high school, and I went to Winthrop and majored in elementary education, and then changed my major to mass communications. And once I did that, I was like, if I want to do journalism, I need to transfer to USC.

I got my foot in the door working in Columbia and working behind the scenes. And from there I was working my way up. But my goal was always to get back to Charleston. And I wonder if it's like that for a lot of aspiring journalists to work in their hometowns. Because that definitely was a thing for you too. It's like, I don't just want to work in this field, I want to work in Charleston. Is that correct?

Laurin Collar (04:16)
Yeah, but I have to tell you, I'd do it differently. I would absolutely do it differently. I would have right out of college, gotten New York out of my system and probably done interning or behind the scenes there. And I almost wish sometimes, well, obviously the track is the way it's supposed to be, but I think I would have probably stayed in the business longer if I hadn't started in my hometown.

Angie Mizzell (04:38)
Mmm.

Laurin Collar (05:00)
But starting in your hometown and then you see that you make very little money and it's crazy hours and you're really never off. Made me realize like as I met my husband and all of that, like is this the right fit for me for the long term? And the answer was clearly no. So I think that even though it was my dream and I attained it, I think I would have worked at it a little longer if I hadn't started right out of the gate in my hometown.

Angie Mizzell (05:24)
That makes a lot of sense and I can relate to that perspective. It's always hindsight, right? So when you decided, okay, I'm not gonna continue on this path, was that a difficult decision for you because there is an ego and an identity and when you're a public person and working in your hometown or was it easy for you to shift?

Laurin Collar (05:45)
Well, there were some components there that made it easier. We were getting ready to get married. It was during sweeps. You know how that is. We had some family members that weren't doing well that we needed at the wedding. And so, you the station was kind like, well, you can't get married during sweeps. And I'm like, I have to have my father-in-law at my wedding. I'm sorry. And so that made it easy because it was very clear to me what was most important to them. But at the same time, it was giving up on a major, major dream.

And, but you know, I still do a TV show at Trident Medical Center and I love doing that. And then in the career I'm in now, I'm still finding things kind of like I used to love finding stories. I'm still on air in a lot of different ways. It's just through Instagram. So a lot of those traits that I loved about the job, I'm still doing.

Angie Mizzell (06:29)
That's right. I do think there is something about any sort of communications related field that is so versatile. especially now in the digital age that we're in, especially when there's less barrier to entry, you can create so many opportunities for yourself. So let's get everyone up to speed tell everyone what you're doing now and how you got there.

Laurin Collar (06:54)
So now I have, I call it a blog, I'm a content creator. My page is the Collar Find. My married last name is Collar and I've always been really good at finding things. So that's where the name came from. And I have a strong Instagram community of moms, mostly women, 35 and up, and I share styles, I share stuff for college-bound kids, I share recipes, and it's now kind of grown into, it's a business. It is a thriving business. I have a website, the Collar Find.

and it keeps me it keeps me hopping which I love.

Angie Mizzell (07:27)
where were you in your life?

that you decided I'm gonna start this blog what was going through your mind?

Laurin Collar (07:35)
am the friend that everyone would text and say, I'm going to this brunch, what appetizers should I take? I'm going to this party, what should I wear? And I found myself cutting and pasting answers. then I started, COVID hit, and I started dabbling in my own page, because I've been doing social media for healthcare clients a little bit, way before it is what it is now. And I thought, why am I doing it for everyone else and not doing it for myself when I think

I have something that's relevant to give and so I was at a 50th birthday party at the sanctuary for a friend and We'd had some cocktails and I put it out there and they were like why don't you just do it and I said cuz I can't

figure out a name and we sat and went through it all until we figured out a name and they kind of gave me the confidence. It's putting yourself out there for sure. You're putting yourself out there and you know, there's some people that are your biggest supporters and some that still think it's a fun little hobby I do on the side because it's an odd career that a lot of people don't understand

Angie Mizzell (08:16)
fine.

Laurin Collar (08:33)
just decided I felt like I had a voice and I felt like there were no voices for women over 40 out there. I was about 44 at the time, 45 at the time, and so I decided to throw my hat in the ring and give women like me someone they could relate to and that was in the same stage of life they were on Instagram and social media.

Angie Mizzell (08:50)
So let's talk about this for a minute. I have never actually talked to an influencer. Like I think you are one of the few people that I would categorize as an influencer that I actually know personally.

Laurin Collar (08:52)
Okay.

Yes.

Angie Mizzell (09:05)
I wanna know what aspects of this work that people don't see, people who might be skeptical and have a lot of curiosity about what it is you're doing.

Laurin Collar (09:15)
I'll tell you this as a former reporter, you'll appreciate this is the hardest I've worked since my TV days. And that says something because boy, you work hard in those newsrooms, right? There's so much you don't see.

at beginning it was just growing and figuring out but as you know with Instagram and with social media the algorithms are constantly changing so you're constantly needing to change your plan and your format but at the same time for me it's finding the finds ordering them seeing if I like them recording them then you write your captions it's growing it's responding to people it's linking I found three calls today for brand deals and then that's a whole nother segment of things because you have

to go through so many attorneys and it's reading the contracts and making sure it's fair for both parties. And so there's just so much people don't see that goes into it. It looks fun and like, look, she's at the beach. How nice is that? But I've schlepped the stuff out there and I'm sweating and my husband's behind the camera or I've got a photographer taking pictures and then I've got to link it and make sure it hasn't sold out. And then that's how we thrive. A lot of people don't understand like, how are you making this a career? But there's so many different revenues.

streams that people not necessarily see but that are a part of it that you have to keep feeding if that makes sense.

Angie Mizzell (10:32)
That makes a lot of sense and I am always very obsessed with time and how to manage it, especially in my decades now being a self-employed person. We do know what it's like to be in a newsroom where it's go, go, go and you're working on a deadline and it can be chaotic, but there's also a structure to it. there are times, there's a news rundown, there's a lot of things that keep you on track. So how do you manage?

all of these moving parts, working for yourself, and still being present for your life.

Laurin Collar (11:05)
getting better at it. I have one friend that's like all you do is work but I love it and so it doesn't feel like work.

and I've seen the reward from really putting hard work in. And so for me, it is a job, but I love it. I'll be honest, first thing I do in the morning is check my Instagram. I post every day at 8.30. That's gotta be linked. I mean, I kind of have a little bit of a routine. I am looking for an assistant. If anyone knows anyone out there, I really need an assistant. I've grown enough that I need help, and I recognize that.

And that's hard for me as a Type A that just wants to do it myself. It's hard to give up those reins, but I have realized it's time. It's time to add more people to the team. you know, like I went to the Bahamas with my family and I definitely put my phone down a lot. I posted every morning. It took 45 minutes to an hour while I had my coffee and then I was done for the day. And so I'm able to do that now and kind of compartmentalize a little bit. But again, the more you're on there, the more you're growing.

and you're selling and it is what it is.

Angie Mizzell (12:07)
I've also seen you fall into a niche with parents who are dealing with graduating.

children becoming an empty nester and then you have to move these kids into college and obviously that's come at the right time for me

Laurin Collar (12:18)
Hmm.

as Bates went to college, I realized there was no one out there telling me what I needed. And I spent hours and hours researching it myself. So once we got her moved in realized mama's need help. Like it would just be nice if someone could have handed me a guide with all the packing list and said, here's what you need. If you don't need it, it's not on here. Here's a link at the bottom. Click, add it to your

cart and move on and enjoy time with your kids. And so I realized that need and I started combining my college bound guide that year and then when she came home from college I had her go through it and she changed stuff. She's like I never used that. I used this and I didn't think I would and so that's where that came from. So now it's a $20 downloadable guide that someone can literally order and it is like the easy button for sending kids to college. But beyond that is the people that that just want to know

everyday life and so I film a lot of times when I'm at school with them and I share those tips and tricks in one off little posts here and there so you're gonna get it  way or the other but it's like the secret tip to having your child respond to your texts do you know what it is? Picture your dog. Picture of animal. Every time they will respond no matter what.

Angie Mizzell (13:34)
no.

wow.

Laurin Collar (13:41)
So there's little things like that that people are like, my gosh, I tried it. You're right. And so those are the things I like to share too.

Angie Mizzell (13:45)
Oh, that's so funny.

Oh, goodness. So I'm like, what do you do if you don't have a pet? You know, I do. It doesn't always work, though, is I will take screenshots of Facebook memories of them when they're little. And sometimes that gets a response. If nobody responds, I'm like, it must have been a busy day. But that must be what I do. I just send pictures of them.

Laurin Collar (13:51)
I don't know!

Mm-hmm.

Yep.

Yep, I do the Facebook pictures too. And you know, it's fun. Like we all went to Clemson, my husband, me, the girls. So we have our family chat and it's about whatever sports team is playing. And yeah, you just have to kind of meet them where they are, which seems hard at the very beginning. And then you realize quickly, I gotta be relevant here so we can keep the communication going when they're so far away.

Angie Mizzell (14:28)
And you do have your daughters' support. Are they as supportive as they appear to be?

Laurin Collar (14:34)
They're both supportive Bates has zero interest being on camera and Lainey does not mind being on camera at all, but I pay them I mean I if I'm like I need to film this campaign and I need you to do this and this they get paid for that because it's their work in their time to But yeah, so Bates will shoot stuff for me, but she has zero interest in being on camera Lainey is Loves being on camera. She started her own page where she shares styles and so she and I'll do like mother-daughter outfit of the

days and those do really well because people then get to see what I'm wearing but they get to see what their teenage daughter could wear too and that's really fun.

Angie Mizzell (15:08)
That's right, being a little part of the family business. I love that.

Laurin Collar (15:11)
Right? Yeah, Billy's got their film in. It's a whole,

it's a whole team approach.

Angie Mizzell (15:16)
I, you posted something about this in the past year or so about parents approaching that empty nest and developing their identity outside of being a parent. Do you remember this post? I'm not imagining this, am I? Yeah. Well, and I wonder what that was like for you because when you started this business, was that

Laurin Collar (15:30)
No, there's a few probably. I get asked about that a lot.

Angie Mizzell (15:40)
because you saw the empty nest coming. It was.

Laurin Collar (15:44)
I saw that I had something to give and I saw that they didn't need me as much and I needed to fill that gap and I wanted to monetize too. If I was gonna do it, I wanted it to be a career

my biggest advice for someone whose kids are going away, whether it's college or moving town, is to find a hobby before they go. Because when they leave, it feels so weird that the last thing you want to do is join a tennis league where you got to meet people and be at your best.

But if you've already got it established a year ahead of time, if you've already started thinking about it, if you've already taken up a new hobby, taken up a side gig, then it's just you can pour into it more when they leave and it can fill that gap a little bit.

Angie Mizzell (16:29)
That is such an important point because

I knew this was going to be an identity shift. So as present as I've been for them and in my mind being a mom is first, I've always tried to maintain my identity outside of them and yet it still felt so weird. I did not know what to do with myself and I was so shocked that I went through this period of feeling so

Laurin Collar (16:35)
Mm-hmm.

Angie Mizzell (16:52)
lost. Like, what's the point? What's my purpose? And luckily it was just a couple of months, but you're right. what can you say to that mom, like maybe on the verge of either being official empty nest or sending that first one

know, about what they're going to experience, but where's that light at the end of the tunnel?

Laurin Collar (17:11)
it's natural what you're going through. I think it's normal and I think

It can be, you have to just approach the way you look at it, right? Like it can be when you get to see your kids really flourish and then you see this free time. You can either say, I'm so bored, there's nothing to do, or you can say, I've got this free time. I remember being at TJ Maxx at a six o'clock at night and both my girls were in college and I thought, I never have been at TJ Maxx at six o'clock at night before. I've always been home feeding dinner and there's no one here. This is awesome. So, know, think about the things that you can do now and

And just for me, it's been my career and I love it and I pour into it. I've started Mahjong with friends, which we love. We have an empty nester group that goes to dinner once a month and tries new restaurants. So you just kind of have to find the new normal, but it's okay to feel like you're floundering and it just doesn't feel right at the beginning for sure.

Angie Mizzell (18:03)
Right.

I had enough parents tell me that it's going to feel terrible. And then you will, and many of them said, and then one day you'll just be fine. Like you'll, it just sort of shifts. And that's what happened. Our whole family went through a transition, but then we got used to it. But now we're in this phase where Dillon has come back home from college. So everybody's home for the summer and we were used to him being gone. Now he's back.

Laurin Collar (18:13)
Hmm.

I'm here.

Angie Mizzell (18:31)
you're in a constant state of transition for years on end. How has that been for you and how have you navigated that?

Laurin Collar (18:38)
I will always say Christmas when they go back to college after being home for a month, it's harder for me than any other time. I mean, I just, I'm not a crier, but I bawl when they leave after Christmas break. For some reason, it's like you finally got them back and you're in the groove and it's such a happy time and then they leave again and it's like someone ripped the bandaid off, you know? And so, and I feel no one prepares you for that, but that's always a tough one for me. ⁓

Angie Mizzell (19:03)
Yeah.

Laurin Collar (19:03)
⁓

It's that and then they come home for their never home spring break mine aren't but they come home just long enough that you get a nugget of it and then that first two days it's just quiet and you're like, this isn't fun. I want him back. But then you just kind of get back in that

Angie Mizzell (19:18)
Christmas harder than summer? going back to school after being home for summer break.

Laurin Collar (19:25)
For me, yes, but let me say this, we get it every Clemson football game.

So after summer break, we know that we're gonna see them in two weeks, in four weeks, in six weeks. After Christmas, there's no guaranteed visit in sight. So for us, for me, it's harder. But in summer was hard this past year with both girls leaving because then we came back and it was quiet. And someone had said to me, don't go straight home. Like, go somewhere, go to the mountains, go do something, have some, and it's always my birthday too, which is the...

Angie Mizzell (19:39)
That's right.

Mmm.

Laurin Collar (19:57)
But it was smart that they said, like, kind of break it up a little bit so you don't just drive into this empty house that was full two days ago. And I did that and I was appreciative of that idea too. So when, you know, I had to listen. When people tell me what works for them, I'm willing to give it a try because it's hard. It's hard sending kids to school and being empty nesters.

Angie Mizzell (20:16)
That's right, but you are proof that we all survive. So what would you say to...

Laurin Collar (20:21)
you.

Angie Mizzell (20:23)
let's start with that first initial, wow, we just graduated our baby. What would you say to that mom?

Laurin Collar (20:30)
I would say soak up the summer ahead. We started doing Sunday night movie nights. You know, they're ready to go. They're soiling the nest as they call it, right? Which is a true thing, I feel like. And I definitely just made myself present as much as possible. But then again, I started dabbling in some other things that I knew could fill that time when they did leave. I will tell you this.

This is one of the most important pieces of advice that I discovered by accident. One of my youngest daughter's best friends was over last summer. They were going to college and she said, I feel guilty leaving. My mom keeps telling me how sad she is and how much she's going to miss me and I feel bad. And I said, listen, she's so proud of you. Don't feel guilty. This is your time.

And so that is a piece of advice. As much as you know you're going to miss them, remember that that can reflect on them.

and they don't want to feel guilty going and having fun, right? So just keep in mind that like focused on the firsts and not the lasts. Focus on this is gonna be your first football game. This is gonna be the first time that we watch Sunday movies, different places, then we get to talk about it, whatever it is. Remember, this is a happy time too. And so focus on the first for them so they don't feel guilty being excited about what's ahead.

Angie Mizzell (21:28)
That's right.

Mm-hmm.

That is amazing advice and that was something that I experienced as I started to shift out of this funky place was once you shift into this is the new normal, this is what life looks like now, it does become very fun and it's fun for everybody and I remember telling Dillon a few times even after Christmas because that was hard to watch him leave. I was crying but I'm like.

Don't worry about me. Like I just cry. I was trying to normalize the fact that I was feeling the emotions without him feeling like he needed to take it on. And that helped too. But it's also such a relief. when you can say goodbye without crying. It feels like such a accomplishment. But that is such a good point.

Laurin Collar (22:28)
Yeah.

Angie Mizzell (22:39)
when we remember they're going through this transition too, and it's our job to help them feel as confident and secure in leaving the nest. my mom told me years later that she cried for a month after I went to college. And I was like, I had no idea.

Laurin Collar (22:56)
I didn't either. Yeah.

Angie Mizzell (22:57)
I had

no idea she was so kind of broken up about it. And I remember I was excited to leave, but I was also excited to come home. And so when I put myself in that space for my children, it helped me remember that this really is an exciting time. it's a lot of stuff that I don't think anybody can prepare you for, but I do think the more we talk about it openly and

Laurin Collar (23:05)
Mm-hmm.

Angie Mizzell (23:23)
I do think that is what being online now helps us do.

Laurin Collar (23:27)
One thing I do tell parents of kids that are college bound is to start.

getting ready for the dorm earlier than you think you should because it's expensive and it adds up. And so I do think it's important that if you see there's some sales going on, it's a don't wait till August and don't wait till July because then you want to be with your kid. So it may be that for graduation, you know that they really want this and you can say to the grandparents, can you give them this or I think this is something they will use if you want to go the practical route, but don't wait until too late to start prepping for dorm room.

because it's a full-time job. I feel like getting all the parts and pieces together.

Angie Mizzell (24:06)
Yeah.

Now, do you think you have girls? I felt like my experience was different with my son. He had no list. He was like, I'll pack my clothes. You know, there were things that I was finding out from other moms that he was happy that I brought. I'll tell you, I went to the dorm to move him out.

Laurin Collar (24:14)
I hear that.

Mm-hmm.

Angie Mizzell (24:28)
and they lived in an apartment style dorm and he was talking about how they had no toilet paper and they'd been going down to the lobby to the main bathroom. I walked down the hall, I opened the linen closet and there is a full pack of toilet paper. I'm like, it's been here. Y'all didn't know that you had toilet paper in this actual apartment.

Laurin Collar (24:41)
my gosh.

Good luck.

Angie Mizzell (24:49)
in general, or at least mine, had no idea what he needed. So do you deal with a lot of boy moms?

Laurin Collar (24:56)
I do, I do. In fact, most of my friends have boys.

And it is different and but you know some of those moms will decorate those rooms right up to ⁓ There are certain things. think boys Use more than girls. I think there's certain things look you got your basics You've got your sheets and your towels and your bath caddy if you're in an old-school kind of dorm like my girls were I mean you've got that kind of stuff and the rest is extra fluff my thought on it is if it makes them feel like home and makes them happy and comfortable that I'm all for it and I you know I wanted it to feel

Angie Mizzell (25:05)
But yeah.

Laurin Collar (25:28)
like home. But the nice thing of this day and age is there's Amazon, right? And there's Target and you can order it to that dorm and it gets there if there's something they need and you forgot about it. So it's okay. I just like to get mine done ahead of time and get it packed in those blue bags and so that move-in day goes as seamlessly as possible because no one warns you about move-in day either. I feel that's something that is tough.

Angie Mizzell (25:51)
I do think that is something you have to experience and go through it and then you kind of know how it goes. So you listed a couple things, some essentials, ⁓ but let's make a quick list. I also discovered the moving bags, these big bags you can get from Amazon, Target, anywhere, game changer. let's just, what are the non-negotiables?

Laurin Collar (25:55)
Yes.

Mm-hmm.

Yes.

Life saver.

Angie Mizzell (26:17)
that every college student needs.

Laurin Collar (26:20)
The non-negotiables I typically say are the big blue bags from Amazon.

I like them because they're sturdy. If your child is going far away to college, you can check them as baggage and they zip and they can be labeled. So I'm very specific on the ones I like because it can check all those boxes. They obviously are going to need a set of towels, right? Hopefully two. Hopefully they're doing laundry enough. They need those typically twin XL sheets. and I send three pairs of those cause you want them to, even if they, you want them to at least take them off and put another pair on, even if they're not

in the laundry, right?

Air purifier and if you're in an old-school dorm a blue light air purifier It's not only kills the germs coming through the vents. It kills the germs in the room So you and your roommate aren't getting each other sick and that's that old-school kind of dorm setup the blue light Air purifier to me is a non-negotiable for sure and those would probably be the top ones the other thing is it sounds weird but Storage is the name of the game and those charge

Angie Mizzell (26:54)
Yes.

Mmm.

Laurin Collar (27:21)
that have lots of different places where you can plug stuff in that have the extension cord, those are a necessity because especially for girls, you've got the makeup mirror and you've got this and you've got your phone and you've got your iPad. You've got to have something that's going to be able to plug all of that in and still reach where it needs to go. So that to me is one of the top five essentials as well.

Angie Mizzell (27:40)
Okay, and where can people get this guide?

Laurin Collar (27:43)
So the College Bound Guide is on thecollarfind.com and it's $20, it's downloadable, it has everything you need. You also can go to Amazon, the Collar Find, just put those two things in the search bar and you will see my whole storefront and I have an entire curated list called College 101.

And it's like dorm desk supplies and dorm laundry supplies. And don't use the pods, the old machines are old, the plastic won't melt. Like there's little tips and tricks in there. And then the collar fine on Instagram. I'm sharing dorm stuff all the time.

Angie Mizzell (28:16)
So moving away from that and back to the woman who is in midlife going through transition, what are your favorite things to share about?

Laurin Collar (28:18)
Okay.

I feel like menopause is having a moment.

as crazy as that sounds. I feel like people are more comfortable talking about it. I feel like people are more comfortable talking about the symptoms. They're being more proactive in fighting these symptoms, like the hot flashes that are miserable. And I've really seen on my page, because it's a community of women, a lot of them going through it or have been through it, that everyone's willing to share and learn because life's too short to feel that bad, right? And I think you're seeing more and more people that are willing to tackle it head on.

Angie Mizzell (28:57)
And the other thing that I noticed that you do is you always show like cute outfits, skin care, appetizers to make if you're hosting a party, things to make your home feel homey. And I really love that for any age because it's fun and we all need these resources. But especially in the midlife category where traditional marketing, I feel like we are at an age that gets skipped over.

completely and I still need all the things and want and I want to look cute and feel cute and so you're filling that gap. What do you think gets the best response that you share or what types of items do you think people are really like asking for that link? Give me more.

Laurin Collar (29:44)
Anything that I like, I have cooling pajamas that I've linked that every time they sell out because so many people could benefit from them. So what I try and do, I always tell people, I am not a QVC salesman. I'm only gonna tell you about something if I love it.

I own it or I think you're going to love it and want to own it. And so I kind of just share my everyday life, whether it's the readers that I really like that are my favorite or it's these skincare. And I get a lot of PR gifts in skincare because we are that niche of the aging skin. But if I find a product that works, then I'm going to tell you about it and tell you you need it because I've seen it make a difference. And I think we're all just looking for the easy button of, okay, she tried it. She said, it's great. I'm adding it to cart. And I think that's why

my community strong is I've built that trust and they know if I don't like it I'm not gonna tell you about it and if I do like it and tell you about it you're gonna want it. So my community and I it's fun they'll send me stuff and be like you got to tell everybody about this and I'm like okay sounds good to me I trust you if you're saying it's great I'm gonna order it and give it a try and I feel like it's this open line of back and forth of women our age they're like we're gonna do anything that's gonna make life easy and make us feel our best.

And so it's a great spot for that. I feel like my community kind of is around each other and supports each other, which is nice.

Angie Mizzell (30:59)
I feel like we're at a season of life where we know there will be transitions and seasons of change, but sometimes I feel like they cycle through and happen faster than they used to. It's almost like one transition to the next. And it's always inspiring for me to see women like you and other women who are embracing this season with confidence and really

Laurin Collar (31:10)
Thank

Angie Mizzell (31:23)
being like in their life fully. So we've already touched on the idea of this a little bit, but what would be any words of encouragement you have for women who just feel either in transition, a little out of sorts, trying to get back to a sense of themselves again?

Laurin Collar (31:25)
Mm-hmm.

I just think you don't have to be miserable. There's so much research and there's so many avenues out there that can help you if you are dealing with the symptoms. I think if you are just feeling like you're kind of floating around, get your girlfriends together and I think you'll realize you're not alone.

because I think we're all kind of feeling that a little bit together. And so having that strong group of friends, some of mine are a little bit older and they're like, yeah, that'll go away. Or they're like, yeah, that's still going on. And some are a little younger and she's like, hot flashes are 30 seconds. And we were like, okay, you clearly haven't had one. So I think it's just important to surround yourself that women that are supportive and get it and are there for you because I feel like in this day and age, we're in that time where our kids are leaving for college and.

Parents are getting sick and passing away and friends are getting sick. And if ever before you need that support group, I feel like it's now.

Angie Mizzell (32:34)
Do you feel like you have more clarity about the things that you allow into your life and the things that you don't?

Laurin Collar (32:41)
Yes, yes. ⁓ I am not a, I do not have FOMO anymore like I did 10 years ago.

Angie Mizzell (32:43)
And do you have...

Laurin Collar (32:48)
I kind of look at it as every yes that you're saying to do something is a no to something else. And so by that, mean, if I were saying, I used to tell this to PTA people, if they were getting hounded to be PTA mom. I if you say yes to that, that's great. But remember, what are you saying no to? It may be I'm saying no to being bored and not feeling like I have a purpose. It may be I'm saying no to valuable time with my kids. Each person's different. And so now I definitely, if I want to go, I go and I think I'm going to get something

them from it and I need that interaction and communication but I don't have the FOMO I used to have. Having said that, this is the year I turned 50 and so this is my year of yes. So I am saying yes to more things than I normally would. Like I was asked to speak at a convention in Palm Springs, California. With both kids at home I probably would have said no to that because I wouldn't want to not have that time with them and it would be an excuse not to have to put myself out there and do it. Now I'm saying yes and so I've done a lot of solo travel.

this year that I probably wouldn't have done before, but I'm pushing myself and I'm getting asked to do speaking engagements. I've never really done that, but I'm saying yes, because I'm pushing myself. I'm really just trying to, you know, explore new boundaries.

Angie Mizzell (34:00)
when you're in your season of yes, what would be a no for you?

Is it for me, it's just something like how I feel in my body and then I have to be disciplined enough to go, you know this doesn't feel like a yes. Yeah, do you have anything like that are you a people pleaser? Have you ever been a people pleaser or do you think you've always been pretty authentic in your actions and decisions?

Laurin Collar (34:16)
Your gut, yeah.

very decisive. ⁓ But I also would say that I have words of affirmation as a love language. I want that pat on the back. I want that you did well. That means more to me than anything. So can I say I'm a little bit of both?

Angie Mizzell (34:29)
Mmm.

Okay.

I think that is a wonderful example where I like the validation and I struggle to be decisive. Even though, so what I have learned as I've gotten older is that my body has given me a clue. Like I actually know what the answer is. I just didn't want to decide it. So kudos to you for being decisive. And I think a lot of people can relate to being a little bit of both. So, ⁓

Laurin Collar (35:01)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

It's kind of an introverted extrovert. think I'm an introverted extrovert. And my friends are like, there's no way. And I'm like, there is a way. Like big parties, I'm like, Small groups, I'm in. You know, it's...

Angie Mizzell (35:11)
I just wanna.

Me too.

I think that is what I've become more clear on that's helped me be more decisive is really knowing where I get my energy and what drains it. And I definitely straddle that line too, but I now know if I've had several days in a row where there's a lot of outward stuff that now I know it's like, just need a minute. here's something that changed how I felt about being an introvert.

Laurin Collar (35:32)
Yes.

Angie Mizzell (35:48)
Introverts often say people drain them I Realize it's not that the the person is draining me. It's just that in my tank I only have so much so when I'm engaging with people I'm spending that energy. It's not that they're sucking it out But I realize I don't have an infinite supply of energy and I yeah

Laurin Collar (36:08)
No, and my husband does. Like

his social battery is never drained. And now I kind of have that catchphrase with him that I'll say, my social battery is about done. And that means like we've been out Thursday night, we've done something Friday night. I just need to veg on Saturday for a minute. Like I know myself well enough and maybe that comes with age that you know my social battery is done. I need to recharge. I need to read a book. And I think that you deserve that if that's what feeds your soul, right?

Angie Mizzell (36:24)
Yeah.

right.

much as this season of life can make you feel upended, the thing we do know is that we know ourselves much better than we did when we were younger. So. So, Laurin, thank you so much for being here today. This is a wonderful time to have you on the podcast and to be sharing this conversation. Where can people find you?

Laurin Collar (36:46)
 yeah, for sure.

They can find me at the collar find on Instagram, the collar like a short collar find the collar find.com. They can find me on Amazon, the storefront, the collar find. So a lot of different places. Instagram's my main, that's where I am the most, but I'm so glad to be here. Can you believe we were cheerleaders together? However many years ago? H a N a.

Angie Mizzell (37:19)
I was trying to think, we like,

H-A-N-A, H-A-N. I love it. Thank you so much for being here. And I know that people listening are going to get so much out of this conversation.

Laurin Collar (37:31)
for having me I appreciate it.

Angie Mizzell (37:33)
This is one of the reasons I started this podcast to have candid conversations like the one I just had with Lauren about how our lives evolve, how our roles change and how we keep showing up in ways that feel true. You'll find links to connect with Lauren in the show notes.

so much for listening. If you want to stay connected, head to angiemizzell.com and sign up for my weekly email, Hello Friday. It's my weekly dose of inspiration and encouragement sent right to your inbox.

I'll see you back here next week and in the meantime I encourage you to live a life that feels more like you.