Want to be part of a Goddess Salon? (We do!) Meet Julie Fedeli
Julie Fedeli knows first-hand how life can shift dramatically — and how reclaiming your health and energy can transform everything. After a complete recovery from a debilitating autoimmune illness after pregnancy, Julie was determined to make sure other women don’t suffer the way she did. Burned out from a high-stakes finance career, Julie turned to meditation, which led her to seven years of deep studies in healing at the Barbara Brennan School of Healing and the Center for Intentional Living. Through this journey, she uncovered a passion for guiding women toward vibrant health, joy, and fulfillment.
Now, through her work as an entrepreneur, mentor, certified health and wellness coach, speaker, and author, Julie’s mission is to empower women to untangle challenges and experience more love, peace, and abundance. As a lifelong innovator, she co-created Midlife Upgrade, an educational platform designed for women longing to uplevel their lives. With over 15 years of experience in creating space, both large-scale events and intimate gatherings, for women to come together and blossom, Julie helps women truly embrace their full potential.
Her latest project, Midlife Upgrade: A Girlfriend’s Guide to Finding Your Power in the Pause, is more than just a book — it’s an invitation to midlife women to reclaim their vitality and power. Alongside her co-author Pamela DeRose, Julie is building a supportive, educational community to celebrate women navigating the transformational time of midlife.
At her core, Julie is deeply committed to living with intention, continually learning, and supporting her clients and loved ones in their growth and evolution. She’s a devoted mother (one of the most important aspects of her life), thrives on meeting new people, traveling and exploring, and creating experiences that inspire and uplift others. Whether through one-on-one coaching, community gatherings, hosting events, or participating in educational initiatives, she is passionate about being with women as they create lives they love.
Julie is the epitome of a MidstHer you want in your corner and we were lucky enough to learn a bit more about her recently.
The Midst: You host Goddess Salons and we are dying to know what that entails
Ah, the Goddess Salons… Originally, I called them the Underground Goddess Salons because I felt so many amazing women were hiding their power and potential. The idea was sparked during a meditation retreat, where I connected with a truly remarkable woman: Shakti Butler. Shakti is a powerhouse in the fields of social justice, racial equity, and documentary filmmaking. She’s the founder of World-Trust, an incredible organization leading the way for a world where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.
During the retreat, I walked straight up to Shakti and introduced myself. I said, “You are an incredible woman. Would you be interested in coming to Chicago? I’d love to host an event in your honor to support World-Trust.” The funny thing is, I had no prior plan to create anything like this—I just knew, in that moment, that women needed to gather, connect, and learn to support one another more fully. And Shakti’s mission lit me up. It’s such a great reminder: when you feel a clear inner YES, follow your heart. Just go for it!
From there, I started inviting women who had faced immense challenges and transformed their experiences into something extraordinary. Lisa Nigro, was another one of the speakers. She founded Inspiration Corporation, which began with her handing out coffee and sandwiches to the unhoused from a little red wagon! Every Salon became a gathering of women sharing their stories, lighting each other up, and creating space for real connection.
When you feel a clear inner YES, follow your heart.
At the events, women would often come up to me – with tears in their eyes—and say how much they’d been longing to meet supportive, inclusive, and fascinating women. That always touched me so deeply, and it reminded me just how much the Salons were filling a need. They were beautiful, electric events, and I loved every moment.
By late 2015, I thought the torch had been passed to others, and I pivoted to explore new projects. But I miscalculated—there was still so much work to do! After some time and reflection, Midlife Upgrade was born with my incredible co-founder, Pamela DeRose. Together, we’re carrying the spirit of the Salons forward, but in an even bigger way.
Gloria Steinem was once asked, “Who are you passing your torch to?” Her response has evolved over time, and now she says, “I’m not giving up my torch, thank you very much—I’m using it to light other people’s torches.” That’s exactly what the Goddess Salons—and now, Midlife Upgrade—are about: lighting women’s torches so they can step into their power and inspire others.
Will you share a bit about the health struggles you faced after the birth of your son?
Wowsah. That’s a longer story — one we dive into in-depth in our book — because so many women experience similar health challenges postpartum, and they’re completely normalized. Which is just crazy. I’m sharing this because I hope someone reading it might believe that they can heal, too.
After a long labor with two hemorrhages, I was left severely depleted. I adored my son and cared for him the best I could, but that was about all I had the capacity for. Over time, things only got worse. I lost most of the hair on the top of my head and was experiencing severe cognitive issues. Finally, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition, but by then, so much damage had already been done. I struggled for years. I honestly didn’t think I’d make it another 10 years, and my constant prayer was simply to live long enough to meet my grandchildren.
And then, in what felt like a series of miraculous synchronicities, an incredible female MD PhD came into my life and introduced me to two cutting-edge supplements. At that point, I’d tried everything, but something about this felt different. I did my research, discovered they had strong potential for supporting autoimmune issues, and — most importantly — allowed myself to believe that I could actually be helped.
After nine years of suffering, I began to heal. Within six months, I looked and felt completely different — I had come back to life. That experience was a turning point for me. It showed me that anything is truly possible, and it sparked a deep commitment to helping as many women as I can.
How do health and financial independence fit together, in your view?
If women are financially struggling to care for themselves and, for many, their families too—then with that kind of stress and the lack of access to resources that ensure basic needs are met — how can they possibly thrive in terms of health and well-being? Financial independence is foundational to a woman’s ability to experience true wellness. It’s not just about survival; it’s about flourishing.
In the US, women 65 and older are twice as likely as men to live in poverty, and a large part of this disparity stems from women spending more time in unpaid labor. According to The New York Times, if American women were compensated at minimum wage for the unpaid work they do—around the house and caring for others — it would total a staggering $1.5 trillion in 2019 alone. Globally, that number jumps to $10.9 trillion. Let’s face it—would men do that much work for free? And when we factor in midlife divorce, the situation worsens: women experience a 45% decline in their standard of living, and post-divorce, they are three times more likely than men to fall into poverty.
Financial independence is foundational to a woman’s ability to experience true wellness. It’s not just about survival; it’s about flourishing.
We need to shift the narrative—empowering women financially is one of the most effective ways to elevate their health, their well-being, and their future. As Kasia Urbaniak so powerfully states, “Claiming and wielding wealth is a woman’s birthright.” Financial freedom opens up possibilities—not just for personal growth but for creating a ripple effect of positive change, elevating our health, relationships, and the lives of future generations.
What are the best things about your age and life right now?
There is a great quote by the author, Anne Lamott. “Age has given me what I was looking for my entire life. It gave me me.” I’ll be 62 in April — and proud of it! Life can get juicier every day. There is a softness and sexiness that I have opened up to in my life. I am still happily an alpha female, but I am practicing “no f*cks given” and letting go of stuff that I no longer need to carry. I feel more alive than ever. All of my life experience and wisdom are being poured into my work and my important relationships. I am planning on living a long life, and I desire to create an epic, beautiful final chapter.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about yourself so far?
Over the past 35 years, I’ve immersed myself in countless outstanding trainings and studied with leaders across women’s health, the healing arts, entrepreneurship, finance, and even women’s sexuality. I’ve spent weeks in silence at meditation retreats, learned from incredible mentors, and pursued a never-ending commitment to personal growth and evolution. And yet, here’s the wild thing—I sometimes forget just how much time, energy, and dedication I’ve poured into learning and becoming who I am today.
What I’ve noticed in my work is that so many women do the same thing. Women are multi-hyphenate geniuses—TRULY—and yet we rarely pause to acknowledge or celebrate all that we’ve accomplished. Meanwhile, men are often so at ease with sharing their achievements—it’s like second nature to them. Shonda Rhimes said it best in Year of Yes: when women receive a compliment, an award, or recognition, we tend to deflect, look down, or say something like, “Oh, this old thing!” Instead, we can choose to say, “Thank you. It’s true.”
Women are multi-hyphenate geniuses—TRULY—and yet we rarely pause to acknowledge or celebrate all that we’ve accomplished.
I believe every woman should create a scroll — a golden scroll — of all her accomplishments. Write them down, honor them, and own them unapologetically. Because let’s be real: just navigating life as a woman in today’s patriarchal soup is an accomplishment in itself. We owe it to ourselves to celebrate our wins (and each other’s), big and small, and to fully own our brilliance.
Is there a myth about aging you’ve happily debunked?
I’ve seen this on social… The reason they want women to believe it all goes downhill after 40 is because that’s when we get our superpowers, and they are afraid of what we will do with them!
What are your current must-haves in life?
I have been practicing meditation daily for over 35 years. Definitely could not live without that. It is the foundation for my life!
And love. I thrive on the love of all of my amazing circle of generous, brilliant, and creative female friends. I started deeply cultivating these relationships when my auto-immune illness went into remission when I was about 45. So it’s never too late to reach out to women you want to collaborate with – or just think are wonderful and you would like to spend time with them! And I try always to be a go-giver — meaning, I try to give and bring everything I’ve got to my friendships.
This may be somewhat controversial. but now that the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative study has been debunked, I am sharing my experience more openly. I have been using Hormone Therapy for over 12 years. It works for me; it’s not for everyone, obviously. And I attribute my positive mindset, my strong health and bones, and my vitality to HT. More accurate information is available now, and I encourage women to explore the menopause movement, seek out great practitioners, and find a trusted pharmacy. We cover this in detail in our book — it’s an important conversation.
I adore my son. I am so grateful that he has the utmost respect and reverence for strong women — and for all women. He is leading the way for his generation of men and offers me hope for the future…
I have been wearing rose oil on my heart for the past 20 years. Don’t go a day without it.
Finally, books – I love reading. We read over 45 books as research for our book. I always have a stack by my bedside. We don’t have a TV/ monitor in our home, so reading is our thing.
And I need water and sunshine!
Who are the women you look up to and why?
- All the women that I meet and know are amazing! Every woman has an incredible personal story, and I am always interested in learning more and supporting her.
- My supportive business partner, Pamela DeRose has experienced some extreme life challenges, has such a beautiful heart, and is a wonderful and innovative entrepreneur.
- My dearest friend, Kathy Bresler, founded ALTAR Community here in Chicago, which is an inspirational space for women’s empowerment and connection. She opened days before the pandemic five years ago – and had extraordinary faith and fortitude – keeping ALTAR open with virtual programming – realizing a decades-long dream to create a soulful place for women to gather.
- Another one of my closest friends, Wini Nimrod, offers an integrated, holistic practice blending expertise in the body, psychology, and spirituality to nurture overall well-being and also is a long-time practitioner of Tibetan Buddhist meditation. She shares a powerful newsletter every week called Metta Mondays and offers classes in Metta Meditation.
- ALL of the amazing women of the #menoposse – leading the menopausal movement. They are incredibly kind, open, without ego (and all of them are brilliant physicians or health practitioners), super creative, and a blast to hang out with!
- And I have been following an outstanding entrepreneur for about 10 years – Cindy Eckert. I love her. She created the “pink pill” – dubbed the female Viagra. Yes, that is super interesting – but her story of creating the product, getting VC investment, FDA approval, selling the company for $ 1Billion, and then getting the company back for free – is all about her fortitude and unstoppable vision. She also founded the “Pinkubator” to provide female-focused entrepreneurs with direct access to mentors, investment opportunities, and business development guidance. She totally inspires me – and it is an honor to be connected with her now since she is truly a relentless supporter of women’s health!
What do you want most for/from the community of women you surround yourself with? And what progress do you hope to see in society for future generations of women?
In a video I created over a decade ago, inviting women to one of my Goddess Salons, I shared this…
“You are a woman who is a powerhouse. A woman who supports collaboration with other women. A woman who supports the upliftment of women. A woman who believes in other women. A woman who is committed to her own personal passion and power. What women need to do right now on the planet is to support one another to access our own power and abundance. And hold our hands out to other women and make it happen for them as well.”
Midlife is a time to celebrate—our freedom, our wisdom, and ourselves. This is it! And I’m committed to creating a future where the next generations of women will not have to endure the same struggles my generation and those before us have suffered.
What’s next for you?
I’ll be co-hosting a screening of The (M) Factor on April 8, 2025, at The Arts Club in downtown Chicago, along with the producer Tamsen Fadal and other leaders in the menopause movement.
April is also the launch of our book, Midlife Upgrade, which is so exciting! I’ve been coaching for over 30 years, and now I am dedicated to offering my consulting support to women who are longing for something different – a resonant life. To untangle their challenges and to live long, healthy and productive lives. All women – and midlife women deserve so much better. If you would like to learn more about my consulting practice, attending The (M) Factor screening, or just want to happily connect, please email me at julie@midlifeupgrade.com.
