✨The Empress Questionnaire✨Get to Know Serial Contentpreneur Amy Cuevas Schroeder!✨👑✨
Founder of The Midst and Venus Zine!
✨ A vibrant space for midlife women, The Empress now reaches over two million readers through our networks of networks. ✨ From bestselling author Alisa Kennedy Jones. ✨ If you enjoy content about midlife, humor, and agency, I’d love to welcome you as part of our community. ✨ For only $50/year ($4.17 a month!) or $5/month, you’ll gain access to all my articles, Monday columns, book clubs, and virtual events.
Fellow Empresses, How are you?
How about we counterprogram through this very strange day?
First, I would be remiss in not sending thoughts to our readers in and around Los Angeles. If you or your loved ones have lost anything in these horrendous fires, I am so inexpressibly sorry. To the first responders, profound gratitude for your bravery and commitment to saving lives in the face of an unrelenting tragedy. We owe you everything.
Meanwhile, three years post-menopausal, I did not THINK it was possible, but even while on HRT, my night sweats have come ROARING back like The Revenant! Night after night, I’ve been awakened in a torrential flood—sheets, pajamas, duvet—soaked to the skin. My hair—all drenched and klaflooy…
Quite frankly, this post is late because I’ve been…
What ended up working? A new batch of patches, a high-protein diet, and a pair of Lusome Night Sweat PJs… all of which get to me to our fantastic guest this week, Amy Cuevas Schroeder, the founder of The Midst community for midlife women as she continually reminds me that we are all forever in the thick of this wildly and wooly transformative time, which is why I am so grateful for her.
About Amy…
Amy Cuevas Schroeder is a serial contentpreneur and the founder of The Midst, a community platform that empowers women 35+ to live healthy, inspired lives on their terms.
She started her first business, Venus Zine — a magazine about women in music and DIY culture — at Michigan State University. Thanks to the big hearts of hundreds of talented people, she scaled Venus bootstrap-style, from a fanzine into an internationally distributed magazine.
After a decade of running the Venus show, she sold the company, and moved from Chicago to New York to start a new chapter in 2009. She went on to lead content for Etsy, Minted, Writer AI, and other startups, in addition to writing for West Elm, Levi’s, NYLON, Pitchfork, and TechCrunch.
Amy began thinking about “midlife empowerment” shortly after having twin girls at 39. She moved from Brooklyn to the Chicago area to be near family, while holding down a full-time job and putting her husband through college. During that time, her daughter Isabel was diagnosed with Pitt Hopkins, a rare genetic syndrome that causes an inability to walk and talk among many other symptoms.
All that, plus severe perimenopause symptoms, led her to join forces with other women in the midst of life.
About The Midst…
“The Midst is a collective of voices — because the modern midlife experience is far from one size fits all. Sure, women 35+ share so many things in common like fluctuating hormones and changes in careers, relationships, health, and what makes us happy during the lengthiest phase of our life. But how we approach our 40s and 50s is where it gets really interesting.
The Midst covers everything from nutrition, sex, and fitness for perimenopausal women to entrepreneurship and inspiring interviews with women like Stacy London, Margaret Cho, and Scary Mommy Founder Jill Smokler. You can read much of the Midst content on the-midst.com, subscribe to the exclusive newsletter on The Midst Substack, and become a Founding MidstHer.
In 2024, we hosted F#ck Middle Age, our first conference in Chicago. In 2025, we’re excited to build communities and events in a handful of U.S. cities”
1. What is your idea of perfect midlife happiness?
Welp, I’ve come to learn that there’s no such thing as perfect, and I think my imperfections make me cool. But I totally know what you’re getting at. :) Right now, at age 48, I’d say I’m striving for a happiness that balances being still, present, content, and financially secure while also being mentally stimulated and excited about all the things I want to do in the next 50 years. Basically, I’m planning to be a cool old lady who lives into my 90s.
I’ve learned a ton about hardcore adulting during my 40s and want to set myself up for success in my 50s. For me, the perfect midlife happiness includes being in my career prime, enjoying my family, and wearing comfy pants.
2. Which empress, queen, goddess, or mythical figure do you most identify with?
Emily McDowell for overcoming entrepreneurial burnout. Gloria Steinem for being a brave, forward-thinking badass.
3. Which living midlife woman do you most admire? (And why?)
Tie between Kamala Harris for tenacity and Sarah Blakely, founder of Spanx, for grit.
4. What aspect of midlife or the peri/menopausal journey do you most deplore?
Fucking night sweats, bloating, and fatigue.
5. What do you most treasure or value about this phase of life?
The friendships that stick even if you don’t talk on the regular.
I’ve really come to love myself and try to forgive myself for all my mistakes.
Feeling like my family has my back at all times
6. If you could share one key midlife lesson, hack, or nugget of wisdom, what would it be?
“Life really does begin at 40. Up until then, you’re just doing research.” — Carl Jung
7. What gives you the greatest sense of agency in midlife? (i.e. “Knowing that I can…”)
Knowing that the older I get, the better I get. “Unless you’re a banana.” Thanks, Betty White!
8. Give us the headline for your Empress Age. (one that captures the bold narrative you are rewriting for the latter half of your life)
“Contentpreneur Amy Cuevas Schroeder is in the midst of building community for the best that’s yet to come!”
Amy’s Empress Edit
Amy has a love for things you cannot easily link to…
Sugar-free peanut butter froyo. Rebel and Halo make several Keto varieties, or here’s a recipe from the sugar-free mom.
Half Caff Coffee… one potential to try: Maude’s Best!
Time to myself.
The Anthropologie Outlet near my home.
Decorating my home.
Sunshine.
Massages.
Where readers can find you:
Instagram @the_midst_life and @themidstlady
We hope you enjoyed this week’s questionnaire.
In the meantime, over at Empress Editions, Dr. Heather Bartos, MD is burning the midnight oil (so to speak) on the edit of our very first book with her, Quickies: one hundred little lessons for living sexily ever after in midlife…
Get on the waitlist today to win a read, write, and renewal spa getaway with Dr. B!
Yours in Grandeur & Deep Sh*t,
ps - I am a human typo. Amnesty appreciated.
*The information contained in this post is intended for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any illness. Before using any practices or products referenced in this piece or others, always consult your healthcare providers, read all labels, and heed all cautions that come with the products. Information received from this piece, or anywhere in this Substack, should never be used in place of a consultation or advice from a healthcare provider. If you suspect you have any adverse conditions, please consult your healthcare providers immediately. This Substack, including Alisa Jones and any other writers or editors, disclaims any responsibility for any possible adverse effects from the use of any information contained herein. Opinions of any writers in this Substack are their own, and the Substack does not accept responsibility for statements made by writers. This Substack does not make any representations or warranties about a writer’s qualifications or credibility.
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“perfect midlife happiness includes being in my career prime, enjoying my family, and wearing comfy pants.” With an emphasis on comfy pants!!! Wonderful to learn more about Amy and her vision for a more empowered collective of midlife women.
Great interview. I love reading about women leading and supporting other women. Congrats to Amy. 🥰🙏🎊🎉