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Mother, Actress, Disruptor: Alyshia Ochse on Playing by Her Own Rules

Navigating midlife pivots, boundary-setting, and the crumbling illusions of Hollywood

Welcome to Say More

The podcast where we go beyond the performance. In this series, I sit down with creators, healers, and thought leaders to explore how they navigate life’s crossroads—especially when the old scripts no longer serve.

Today’s guest is Alyshia Ochse—actress, bestselling author, podcast host, entrepreneur, and mother. You might know her from her role as “Lucy,” opposite Matthew McConaughey, in HBO’s True Detective.

We talk about what it really means to balance ambition and motherhood, how people-pleasing dilutes your presence, and what midlife demands from women who refuse to settle. Alyshia shares deeply earned wisdom on the unraveling of Hollywood’s old systems, the creative power of rest, and what it takes to rewrite your own definition of success.

Listen on Substack or wherever you get your podcasts.

🎙️ Connect with Alyshia

Website: alyshiaochse.com
Instagram: @alyshiaochse
Work with Alyshia: Consultations Available Here

💫 Connect with Brooke

Instagram: @brookielyons
Substack: We Need to Talk About

🔑 Key Themes

  • Redefining success in a shifting creative landscape

  • The myth of balance (and what replaces it)

  • Boundaries as a form of self-respect

  • Why midlife isn’t a crisis—it’s a recalibration

  • How to sustain a creative career without burning out

  • Collaboration over competition in an industry in flux

🧭 Chapters

00:00 Navigating Career & Motherhood
03:31 Boundaries & People Pleasing
06:19 Authenticity in Professionalism
09:14 Shifting Perspectives in Midlife
11:46 Breaking Out of Old Stories
17:29 The Changing Landscape of the Industry
19:48 Surviving as a Middle-Class Actor
23:00 Embracing Multi-Hyphenate Careers
34:22 Industry-Wide Changes in Actors’ Paychecks
35:23 Understanding the Business of Acting
37:43 The Role of Networking in Acting
38:38 Embracing the Unknown in Career Paths
39:34 Aligning Personal Cycles with Professional Opportunities
42:14 The Necessity of Rest and Recovery
44:20 Exploring Creativity Beyond Acting
47:55 The Power of Self-Care in the Creative Process
51:22 Navigating Auditions in a Virtual World
56:49 Curiosity Over Competition in the Industry
59:49 Staying Positive in a Heavy World

🧰 Resources

🎙 Hosted by Brooke Lyons

Actress, writer, mother, mystic, and voice behind Say More—a podcast that explores identity, reinvention, and what happens when you stop performing and start telling the truth.

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