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Published on:

12th Mar 2024

Hacking Happiness

Hacking Happiness through Divorce with Penny Lacaso

In this episode of we welcome Penny Lacaso from Melbourne, Australia, to discuss how individuals facing or going through divorce can find happiness and empowerment. Penny, a happiness hacker and author of 'Hacking Happiness,' shares her personal journey, including her childhood experience with her parents' divorce and her own divorce after a long-term marriage. She emphasizes the significance of defining happiness on one's own terms and provides techniques for cultivating joy and self-compassion during challenging times like divorce. The conversation covers the importance of allowing oneself to feel a range of emotions, the power of small acts of kindness, and practical exercises to foster happiness, including the 'Three Good Things' practice recommended by positive psychology. Penny and Lesa also discuss the value of self-compassion and using challenging life events as opportunities for growth and self-discovery.

00:00 Introduction to the Show and Guest

01:45 Getting to Know Penny Lacaso

03:29 Penny's Personal Journey and the Concept of Happiness

06:55 Understanding Self and Discovering Personal Happiness

08:51 The Power of Self-Compassion and Overcoming Judgement

11:49 The Role of Choice in Happiness and Dealing with Negative Emotions

15:51 Practical Tips for Finding Joy and Happiness

31:14 Final Thoughts and Contact Information

32:18 Show Closing

Bio: Penny Lacaso is the first hapiness hacker on a quest to teach 10 million humans by 2025, how to flourish in life!

Find Penny here!

Resources!

Lesa Koski Website

Lesa’s Online Courses

Lesa’s Masterclass

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About the Podcast

Doing Life Different with Lesa Koski

Real conversations for women over 40 about faith, fitness, and fresh starts

Mindset, movement, and faith after 40—because midlife isn’t a crisis, it’s your comeback.

Welcome to Doing Life Different with Lesa Koski, the podcast for women over 40 who are ready to rewrite the rules, reclaim their joy, and rediscover their purpose. Whether you're navigating divorce, rediscovering your health, deepening your faith, or learning how to have fun again—you’re in the right place.

Host Lesa Koski—wife, mom, coach, and seasoned mediator—brings real talk, relatable wisdom, and expert interviews to guide you through midlife reinvention with grace and grit.

In each episode, you’ll get practical tools and empowering conversations on:

Mindset & personal growth

Faith & spiritual connection

Fitness, movement & health

Divorce, marriage & relationships

Fun, purpose & starting fresh in the second half of life

This isn’t just self-help. It’s soul-level transformation. Get ready to do life different—because your next chapter starts now.

Lesa also explores the emotional and physical changes that often accompany midlife and major life shifts. From navigating the impact of menopause on your health, marriage, and mood, to dealing with the loneliness that can come after divorce or empty nesting, you’ll find honest conversations that don’t shy away from real-life challenges. And for those of you in your 40s, 50s, or beyond, you’ll discover what it means to truly build a better life after 40.

Health and wellness are deeply integrated into this journey. Lesa shares insights on the benefits of rest, joy, nutrition, fasting, protein, and bone health, along with the power of movement, community, and exercise to support mental clarity and physical strength. You’ll learn how to take care of yourself with intention—because healing isn’t just emotional, it’s also biological.

Mindset work and self-coaching are recurring tools offered in episodes to help you reframe your story and shift from fear to freedom. And through it all, the show honors the role of faith, spiritual surrender, and letting God lead you through every season. Whether you're leaning into your relationship with God for the first time or deepening a lifelong practice, you’ll hear how surrender can bring peace even in the hardest moments.

You’ll hear real stories from people who have done divorce differently, saved their marriages, or found new love and purpose on the other side. Lesa also brings in conversations about marriages that have stood the test of time, co-parenting through complex seasons, and the realities of parenting after separation while maintaining stability for your kids.

This is a podcast about thriving through Cancer, taking back your life, rewriting your future, and trusting that you’re not starting over, you’re starting better. If you’re craving practical advice, soul-level encouragement, and real conversations about creating a healthy, joyful, purpose-driven life, you’ve found your community.

Subscribe now and join Lesa Koski for weekly episodes that will help you grow stronger in your relationships, your health, and your faith, no matter where you’re starting from.

About the Host:
I’ve spent over 25 years helping families navigate amicable divorce as a lawyer and mediator, always focused on protecting what matters most—your kids and your peace of mind. But my mission has expanded. Today, I support women over 40 not just through endings, but in building stronger relationships—and sometimes even saving their marriages. I’m a breast cancer survivor, a cowgirl at heart, a wellness advocate, and a follower of Jesus. My life and faith fuel my passion for helping women thrive.

About your host

Lesa Koski