Unfinished: The Science & Soul of Becoming
Is a partial scholarship for you?
We believe in making personal growth and education accessible to everyone, which is why we offer partial scholarships on a needs-aware basis for many of our programs.
These scholarships support individuals facing financial challenges, including — but not limited to — members of underrepresented communities. If financial stress might prevent you from attending a workshop, we encourage you to apply.
Partial scholarships, provided through the Association for Growth and Education, are limited to 2–3 seats per workshop and reviewed in the order received. We recommend applying as soon as possible, as scholarship decisions are typically confirmed 90–120 days before the workshop date.
Tamsen Fadal
Emmy Award-winning journalist, New York Times bestselling author, filmmaker, menopause advocate
Chip Conley
MEA Founder, Hotelier + Hospitality Entrepreneur, Bestselling Author
Stop waiting for “someday” and design the life you want now with Tamsen Fadal and Chip Conley
You've been telling yourself "someday" for years now. Someday you'll figure out what you really want. Someday you'll make the change. Someday you'll stop feeling like you're just going through the motions of a life that doesn't quite fit anymore.
But here's what's actually happening: you're changing right now. Your brain is changing. Your body is changing. Your priorities are shifting. The version of you living this life now isn't the same person who built it.
Someday isn't coming. It's already here.
So the question becomes: are you going to continue letting life happen to you or are you going to understand what’s shifting so you can shape your next chapter with clarity and intention – and create something even better than what you have now?
Listen to Chip and Tamsen Fadal on the Midlife Chrysalis podcast:
From Hot Flashes to a Global Mission: Tamsen Fadal’s Menopause Journey
You know there’s so much more to your story – which is why it’s time to choose design over decline
What if midlife isn't an ending, but an evolution? What if the restlessness, the questions that surface at 3 am, the sense that something fundamental is shifting – what if all of that isn't a crisis, but an invitation to redesign your life?
The problem is, nobody's given you the roadmap. You're navigating changes in your body and brain without understanding what's actually happening or why. Society keeps telling you this is decline, but everything in you knows there's more to the story.
The good news is, when you understand the science of what's changing, everything shifts. You learn how neuroplasticity fuels growth at any age. You discover what activates your brain's motivation system. You see how purpose affects longevity and wellbeing. And you can use all of that knowledge to design what comes next – not based on outdated scripts about aging, but on who you're actually becoming.
This is the work you’ll do with journalist and filmmaker Tamsen Fadal and MEA founder Chip Conley
Join these two passionate midlife advocates for an intimate four-day workshop in Santa Fe and gain a compassionate, research-backed framework for designing your next chapter that’s grounded in neuroscience and lived experience.
As an Emmy Award–winning storyteller who’s walked her own path of midlife reinvention, Tamsen has interviewed leading voices in longevity, brain health, and women's wellbeing, translating complex science into tools you can actually use.
She brings a journalist's precision to questions most people only whisper about:
Tamsen holds space for both the science and the soul of what you're experiencing, and helps you understand that there’s something wrong with you – and there are steps you can take to reclaim your energy and vitality right now.
Alongside Learning to Love Midlife author Chip Conley, you'll rethink midlife as a season where you’re capable of immense growth, your creativity can evolve in unexpected directions, and the choices you make now can profoundly shape the decades ahead.
Together, we’ll uncover what it means to grow wiser, more curious, and more connected as we age.
Here’s what you’ll experience during your time with Tamsen and Chip:
Day 1: Decline vs. Design
Reframe the story of aging and creativity. Learn how neuroplasticity and mindset fuel lifelong growth, and design the next version of yourself with purpose and intention.
Day 2: The Science of Change
Discover the biology of transformation. Understand how curiosity, movement, and emotional regulation activate the brain’s motivation system and help you embrace change with confidence.
Day 3: The Power of Meaning
Explore how purpose fuels longevity and emotional coherence. Connect with your “why,” uncover the moments that light you up, and rediscover what makes you feel most alive.
Day 4: The Future Self
Design your next chapter with clarity and compassion. Through guided visualization and writing, you will meet your future self and leave with a personal pledge for the life you are still creating.
You’ll leave with a personal Design Plan for your next chapter along with practical, science-based tools for emotional, cognitive, and physical renewal – and the confidence and clarity to consciously create what comes next.
And you’ll get to do this powerful work in a small-group setting surrounded by luxury and the stunning beauty of the New Mexico high desert.
This Workshop
Is For You If…
Meet
Tamsen Fadal
Journalist | Filmmaker | Midlife Advocate | Host of The Tamsen Show
Tamsen Fadal is a multiple Emmy Award-winning journalist, New York Times bestselling author of How To Menopause, and globally recognized menopause and midlife advocate.
After more than three decades as a television news anchor, she made a bold midlife pivot from the newsroom to women’s health and reinvention, becoming a trusted voice for millions of women navigating perimenopause, menopause, and the “what now?” of midlife.
She’s also the creator and host of The Tamsen Show podcast and executive producer of the PBS documentary The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause, the first film of its kind to take menopause from whispered side conversation to global public dialogue.
Her work has been featured on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Oprah Daily, The Washington Post, and Forbes, and she serves on the national board of Let’s Talk Menopause, advocating for better care, policy, and workplace support for women in midlife.
" What if midlife isn’t a crisis to survive, but a chrysalis – a time to shed old identities and emerge with deeper purpose? "
~ Chip Conley ~
Meet
Chip Conley
MEA Co-Founder | NYT Bestselling Author | Former Head of Global Hospitality & Strategy at Airbnb | Host of the Midlife Chrysalis Podcast
Chip Conley reframes what it means to age in the modern world.
A three-time TED speaker, Chip is one of the world's leading experts at the intersection of business innovation, psychology, and spirituality. As creator of the boutique hotel movement and modern elder to Airbnb's young founders, his intergenerational mentoring was instrumental to the company's extraordinary success.
That experience inspired him to found MEA and dedicate his midlife years to helping people navigate this life stage with renewed purpose and possibility.
Supported By the MEA Team
Lee Johnson
MEA’s Head of Land, Livestock, and Mindfulness in Santa Fe
Lee likes to say that he’s as ordinary as dirt but as complex as soil. A former Course Director for the Colorado Outward Bound School and Certified Holistic Management Teacher, he has managed ranches in Nebraska and Tennessee as well as several ranches here in New Mexico. As ...
View BioDarby Rose
Experience Facilitator
Darby Rose is a multidisciplinary artist, arts administrator, cook, actor and animal lover, currently living in Santa Fe, NM. Born into a family of travelers in Austin, TX, she’s lived more places than she can count — all over Texas, Boston, Jackson WY, Baltimore and Los Ange ...
View BioOur Agenda at a Glance
Sunday:
4:00 PM: Arrival/Check-in
5:30 PM: Welcome Reception & Dinner
7:00 PM: Orientation Session
Monday:
7:00 AM: Mind + Body
8:30 AM: Breakfast
10:00 AM: Classroom Time
1:15 PM: Lunch
2:00 PM: Free Time
3:00 PM: Classroom Time
5:30 PM: Free Time
6:30 PM: Dinner
8:00 PM: Free Time
Tuesday:
7:00 AM: Mind + Body
8:30 AM: Breakfast
10:00 AM: Classroom Time
1:15 PM: Lunch
2:00 PM: Free Time
3:00 PM: Classroom Time
5:30 PM: Free Time
6:30 PM: Dinner
8:00 PM: Free Time
Wednesday:
7:00 AM: Mind + Body
8:30 AM: Breakfast
10:00 AM: Classroom Time
1:15 PM: Lunch
2:00 PM: Free Time
3:00 PM: Classroom Time
5:30 PM: Graduation
6:30 PM: Celebration Dinner
Thursday:
7:00 AM: Breakfast
10:00 AM: Checkout/Departure
Friday:
Saturday:
*Please note that not all “classroom time” activities take place in the actual classroom.
*Please note all times are estimates as some activities go longer or shorter depending on the group. This agenda is meant to give you an idea of the general flow of activities.
Step into transformation in the high desert
Rising Circle Ranch | Santa Fe, USA.
Our spectacular Santa Fe campus is located on an upscale regenerative ranch featuring traditional Pueblo architecture and nearly 2,600 acres of wildlife, hiking trails in the arroyo, and awe-inspiring beauty. Close to historic Santa Fe, an artisan’s mecca.
PLUS: Gourmet from-scratch meals, snacks, and drinks featuring locally sourced ingredients, made by our in-house chefs
Explore the ranch
on horseback
Our Rising Circle Ranch spans 2,600 acres of New Mexico high desert, offering guided horseback riding for all experience levels through diverse terrains under the vast Southwest sky
You’ll experience highlights like:
Horseback riding is an optional add-on activity you can book once you arrive on the ranch. Whether you’re seasoned or brand new to horseback adventures, this guided experience lets you discover the ranch’s natural wonders alongside our gentle horses.
Your Workshop Also Includes:
Join Tamsen and Chip for four transformative days of reflection, science, and soul
Over four days with Chip and Tamsen, you'll weave together neuroscience, story, and real-life strategy to understand what's happening in your brain, body, and life and use those insights to build a chapter that fits who you are now.
In this workshop, you'll:
Join us in Santa Fe and gain the clarity, community, and a science-and-soul framework for becoming the person this season of your life is asking you to be.
Book your spot today
Unfinished: The Science & Soul of Becoming
Is a partial scholarship for you?
We believe in making personal growth and education accessible to everyone, which is why we offer partial scholarships on a needs-aware basis for many of our programs.
These scholarships support individuals facing financial challenges, including — but not limited to — members of underrepresented communities. If financial stress might prevent you from attending a workshop, we encourage you to apply.
Partial scholarships, provided through the Association for Growth and Education, are limited to 2–3 seats per workshop and reviewed in the order received. We recommend applying as soon as possible, as scholarship decisions are typically confirmed 90–120 days before the workshop date.
The program was spectacular. It really surpassed my expectations. I was really surprised about how the course was curated. There was such a warm intensity and personal touch to it.
I experienced MEA as a newly diagnosed multiple myeloma cancer patient, and as a result of the things I’ve learned - I’ve banished the anxiety of being a cancer victim, am in remission, and living with a newfound energy and purpose.
Just know how grateful I am for the joy fuel you all put in my rocket ship. When I want to feel loved or just need a good smile I can think of my time at MEA, which came at the perfect time to encourage me on my journey. Thank you!
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this workshop for?
This experience is for men and women in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond who feel “unfinished” in the best possible way. It’s especially supportive if you’re navigating midlife shifts in health, hormones, work, identity, or caregiving and want both science and soul to help you make sense of what’s changing.
Is this a health workshop or a personal growth workshop?
Both, in a grounded way. You’ll learn accessible science about the midlife brain, hormones, and stress, and then connect it directly to questions of meaning, identity, and purpose.
What if I’m not planning a big external change?
You don’t need to be quitting your job or moving across the country. Many people come because they want an internal reset: a more honest relationship with their body, a saner relationship with work, or a more aligned way of spending their time and energy. Small, precise shifts are just as welcome as bold reinventions.
How big is the group, and how much access will I have to Tamsen and Chip?
MEA workshops are intentionally intimate, with a limited number of participants so there’s space for real conversation, questions, and connection. You’ll engage with Tamsen in group sessions, Q&A, and informal moments throughout the week, not from the back row of a large conference room.
What’s included in the tuition?
Your tuition includes four days of programming with Tamsen, Chip, and the MEA team, four nights of accommodations, chef-prepared meals, snacks, and drinks, plus full access to our Santa Fe campus spaces for reflection, movement, and connection. Travel to and from the campus and any personal extras are your only expenses.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. MEA offers needs-aware financial assistance for people who might not otherwise be able to attend. If cost is a barrier, you’re encouraged to submit a brief application so our team can explore options with you.
What if I’m not sure this is the right fit?
You don’t have to decide alone. You can book a call with an MEA advisor – someone who’s attended a workshop themselves – to talk through your current season of life and whether this particular experience matches what you’re looking for.
Still deciding or have questions?
Connect with our helpful team of Advisors
Our Advisors are all MEA alumni who can offer genuine insights into our programs. They’re passionate about helping you finding the right fit to make your next chapter the best one.
Daniel Booz
Lucas Erie
Leslie Bartlett