Debbie Mink is a stylist, artist, podcaster, and creative guide who has built a life and career on her own terms. Through her styling work and her podcast, Talking Smack 415, Debbie brings humor, candor, and a refreshing “do it messy” philosophy to every conversation, helping women over 40 embrace bold personal style, creativity and reinvention. In this Women We Know Q&A, she shares her thoughts on boldness, identity shifts, hormone health, empty nesting, and why there is no perfect time to begin—just the courage to take the first step and leave your mark.
Q: You describe your work as helping women 40+ step into bold personal style. What was the moment you decided to fully own your own boldness?
Honestly? Birth. I’ve always been bold, for better or worse. I think part of it comes from being an outspoken, honest East Coaster, but also from always wanting to look and feel unique. I’ve never been interested in blending in.
Q: Leopard print and lipstick seem to be your signature power combo. What do they represent for you beyond fashion?
Leopard represents wildness, confidence, vintage glamour, and this unexpected sophistication. It’s classic but also rocker and a little dangerous, which I love.
Lipstick makes me feel like myself. It’s bold, feminine, audacious, and unapologetic. It’s a statement. Whether it’s a lipstick mark on my coffee cup, a giant SWAK on an envelope, or walking into a boardroom/ conference room feeling powerful, it leaves a mark.
Together, leopard and lipstick represent my vibe, impact, and inspiration: boldness, femininity on my own terms, self-expression, unforgettable entrances and exits.
Funny aside… I recently bumped into someone I hadn’t seen in 20 years, and the first thing they said was, “I can’t believe you’re still wearing leopard print!” I was honestly shocked they even remembered I wore leopard print back then. I guess that proves the point, it really is my signature.
Q: You’ve built a career that blends styling, art, podcasting, and creative coaching. How did you give yourself permission to stop choosing just one lane?
I think I finally realized I’m just naturally a multi-hyphenate person with a lot of creative interests to explore. I genuinely can’t help it. This is the current iteration as I search for my next corporate executive role to support my multi-hyphenate life!
At the same time, I know it completely confuses the algorithms. Every business coach and marketing article tells you to stay in your lane, niche down, and get crystal clear. Meanwhile, I’m styling clients, podcasting about menopause, interviewing restaurateurs, and laughing with my bestie from the 6th grade.
But I guess that’s part of my boldness too, building a life and career on my own terms. My different lanes may not feed one perfect algorithm, but together they create a much fuller picture of who I am.
Q: Midlife can feel like a giant plot twist. What surprised you most about this chapter of your life?
The biggest surprise was realizing how much hormones impact your ability to function and how little many doctors and people still know about it.
For years, I heard variations of: “You’re just a busy, stressed-out mom.” Brain fog? Exhaustion? Stress. Not sleeping? Stress. Everything got blamed on being a working mom. I needed HRT in my late 30’s but didn’t learn about it until my late 40’s and didn’t feel equipped to ask for what I need until my 50’s.
The minute I started the estrogen patch, it was like I was back. I lost the puffy bloat, started sleeping through the night again (most nights), and felt more like myself. It honestly shocked me how dramatic the difference was.
Q: Your work encourages women to clean out their closets and, in many ways, clear out old versions of themselves. What have you personally had to let go of?
I think I’m always evolving and clearing out old versions of myself. Right now I’m preparing to let go of the version of myself that’s been “mom of two high schoolers.” And become, the “mom of a college student and high school student.”
My daughter is heading to college, and I’m stepping into the beginning of empty nesting. It’s emotional because I’m so proud of her, her intelligence, humor, boldness, drive, grace, and accomplishments, and so excited for what she’s about to experience, but it’s also a major identity shift for me.
At the same time, I can feel the beginning pulls of the next version of myself: more creativity, more exploration, more building, more freedom. And yes… the retirement of my dance mom career. Like how am I gonna fill that time?
Q: Talking Smack 415 is filled with humor and honesty. Why do you think laughter is such an important tool for navigating menopause, motherhood, and all the chaos in between?
It’s cliché because it’s true: laughter is medicine.
The people who make me laugh the hardest are usually the people I turn to when life gets hard. Laughter helps you reconnect to yourself. It interrupts anxiety and negative spirals. It creates instant connection and joy.
And honestly, sometimes life is such a hot mess. If you can laugh at it, it’s a funny hot mess and you can navigate it a little better. Otherwise, you might just cry, and sometimes you do both, at the same time.
Q: What was your favorite or most inspiring episode of Talking Smack 415? What have you learned?
That’s such a hard question, but a few episodes stand out deeply.
Interviewing my brother after his James Beard Award was incredibly meaningful because it preserved our family’s restaurant story and legacy. In many ways, it captured the original heart behind the podcast: staying connected to your roots, your family, and your values, even while building a life far away from where you started.
Jamie the Great’s first episode about her Oral Cancer journey was another huge one. It captured a terrifying moment in time and became a great resource and still is for anyone wanting to know her story. It helped her not have to repeat it a million times. Plus it was awesome to share how much love and support she experienced. Her honesty, humor, and vulnerability were incredibly powerful. It’s our most listened to episode to date. And our listeners just really want to know and keep up with what’s going on with her health. .
What I’ve learned from podcasting is that some episodes are fab and some episodes flop and that is OK because part of our philosophy is to do it messy.
Q: What advice would you give to women who know they’re meant for something bigger but are still waiting for the “right time” to begin?
I relate to that feeling deeply because I still feel it myself all the time.
But here’s what I’ve learned, you just need to take the tiniest first step and build momentum from there. Step on that path, wherever or whatever that is.
There is no perfect time. There is no magical moment where fear disappears and you suddenly feel fully ready. The time is now.
Say F*k fear. Start scared. Start messy. Start tiny. Just start!
