Guest: 12 December 2024

Dr. Shayna Kaufmann is the founder of Embrace the Middle—a company dedicated to serving women in midlife. She challenges us to challenge the negative cultural midlife paradigm.

In this episode, Shayna explains:

• How she defines midlife
• The cultural differences and similarities in her global research
• The difficulties women have
• All the positives that come with midage
• Despite what we see in media, most women don’t buy into all the anti-aging hype
• What it means to “Embrace The Middle”

Shayna and I have a good laugh over what we wish our elders would have told us about midlife.  Her advice for all of us midlife women though, is powerful.

Listen in!

Guest: 28 November 2024

Chloe Mascord helps women who avoid sex, or are stuck in unfulfilling intimacy to stop faking it and start thriving. Through bite-sized, actionable strategies, she shows women how to reignite desire, build deeper connections, and live authentically in their intimate lives.

In this episode, Chloe explains:

• Performative intimacy
• The most common reasons desire fades in long term relationships
• The importance of communication and curiosity
• Safe ways to open the doors to a conversation about sex, intimacy
• Low libido
• Men aren’t all-knowing like we may have been told
• Body image as we get older

Chloe’s advice to us all is to give ourselves some grace.

I also had some advice: be as gentle with the changes below the neck as we are with the changes above the neck.

Listen in!

Guest: 21 November 2024

Corinne Auman is on a mission to change the conversation around aging. In a culture where many avoid thinking about older adulthood until the last minute, she urges us to embrace aging in a positive light.

Needless to say, we discuss ageism:

• Has it always existed or is it more obvious now that we’re living longer
• Ageism in the workplace
• Being “invisible” but needing to advocate for ourselves or our older parents
• Why new doctors might avoid elderly patients
• Facility care competency vs dementia awareness
• Kind lies
• Preparing for aging

Corinne uses the term “Keenagers”.  I’ve heard the term “Wellderly”.  I believe we agree the Keenagers will be the Wellderly of the future.

Listen in!

Guest: 31 October 2024

Kenny Sacht finds himself in the calling of a lifetime because of one late-night pop-up on his computer. His heart has broken several times over the last decade and a half, but his focus to rescue girls and women from the sex trade doesn’t waver.  Today he explains

• his journey from school teacher to advocate for these girls and women
• How girls get lured into – and trapped in – the sex trade
• exploitation of vulnerability
• the beginning of Wipe Every Tear
• the role of Hope House in creating a future for the women
• how bar owners discourage the girls
• babies and STDs
• why the rescues can’t happen without Western helpers

Kenny is so driven he evens gives out his phone # – that’s a man with a Mission!

Listen in!

Guest: 17 October 2024

Ande Lyons has been a podcast host/live stream host since 2012 – her current podcast is her 6th podcast.  In this episode, we discuss both sides of the mic: Listeners and host wanna-bes.

• Ande’s history with the medium
• What exactly is a podcast
• The huge variety of podcasts and formats
• Quick and east podcast start-up
• Some of Ande’s favourites and my all-time favourite
• My genius idea for spreading the word about podcasts (better than a book club!)

Ande and I have chatted before so there are lots of laughs… and I hope our passion for the art of podcasts comes through.

Listen in! and then Share!

Guest: 10 October 2024

In this episode, Robert Norris gives us so many insights into life as an expat, life in Japan – from the day-to-day to the bureaucracy involved in moving there – so much great information and much of it accompanied by interesting anecdotes.

Today he explains:

• his early envy of those who spoke more than one language
• a six-mat room and a three-mat room
• local public baths
• living his dream
• why you should immerse yourself instead of speed-visiting
• Kanji lettering and the Japanese language
• tidbits of cultural history and current changes
• earthquakes

I enjoyed the moment when Bob was telling us about earthquakes and had the Japanese word but had to think about the English word!  That’s immersion!

Listen in!

Guest: 26 September 2024

Mike Fink guides women to clarity over the decision to divorce or to not divorce. If you, like me, question how a man can help women, listen in – he explains the how and the why really well.

In this episode he explains:

• Primal, emotional, rational parts of brain and perhaps some facts about them you might not know.
• Deal-breakers and cumulative deal breakers
• the divorce decision-making process is like solving a Rubik’s Cube
• Values are not equal, there is a hierarchy
• The Decoding Grid
• How The Decoding Grid can be used for other major decisions

Mike’s last piece of advice is yet another nugget to keep in mind, whether your life decision is divorce or something else.

Listen in!

Guest: 19 September 2024

Erica Neubert Campbell was happily going about her mommy, wife and business lives when her breast cancer diagnosis arrived. It wasn’t unexpected. Her mom had died of breast cancer years earlier.  What was unexpected was that doctors could only give her medical details.

Erica opted for double mastectomy and decided to chronicle – with photographs – the approximately 18 months she and her breasts endured her journey.

Today Erica discusses:

• Her mom
• Lumpectomies and mastectomies
• The diagnosis and her children
• The BRCA gene
• Excerpt: “Deciding what to do next Is like choosing a deadly weapon When I didn’t pick the battle.”
• The decision to have implants
• The book that grew out of her journals and photos

As always, I ask Erica what I haven’t asked her that she wants women to know – her answer to that makes this conversation even more worth listening to.

Listen in!

Guest: 05 September 2024

Amita is younger than us but has been through the same hormonal wringer washer. But. Amita got proactive and has developed holistic wellness programs for taboo topics such as sexual health, menopause, stress, anxiety…  amongst other issues that women go through.

Some of this will apply to you, all of it will apply to your daughters!

Today Amita discusses:

• the culturally sensitive nature of her research and offerings
• what ‘holistic’ means to Amita
• aging and longevity
• emotional wellness
• sexual health
• weight changes

Amita also explains her work with employers (because how many of them acknowledge the reality of female hormones?)… and you’ve heard the expression “There’s an app for that” –  well, Amita is developing that too!

Listen in!

Guest: 29 August 2024

Maureen Atkinson is inspiring women like us to make this chapter our best. Founder of Lifeshiift, she’s the poster woman for learning and creating and curiosity as we navigate these years.

Today she explains:

• Her path from a corporate mover and shaker to the designer and inspiration behind LifeShiift
• Travel as a young woman vs travel as an older woman
• Goal setting
• How energy seems to breed more energy
• Mindfulness and Meditation
• Gratitude

Maureen’s advice for us all was not what I was expecting but is intuitive and really does hit the mark.

Listen in!

Guest: 15 August 2024

Elizabeth Zelinka Parsons coaches high achieving, driven executives and professionals to create a “retirement” that challenges them, gives them high satisfaction and, often, leaves a legacy. As Elizabeth spoke, I realized that many of the needs/desires of high achievers are actually not that different from more average achievers, perhaps just on a greater scale.

Elizabeth discusses:

• Why “a life of pure leisure isn’t going to cut it” for high achievers
• How the transition from a professional career is as difficult for them as for us
• Part of her process
• The game-changer tool for a busy professional
• How the gossip chain can be so very detrimental

I appreciated that Elizabeth acknowledged the full-time job that is mothering.

Listen in!

Guest: 08 August 2024

Michelle Chang and her husband, Jedd, didn’t set out to become intentional travelers, but traveling captured them and if you’re going to travel, intentional is a great idea.

In this episode Michelle explains

• Why we need some level of digital/phone literacy to travel well nowadays
• Preparing our phone before travel
• Good apps to have
• Crossing borders
• Tricks to make travel much smoother, cost-effective, and enjoyable
• Other things mid-life women should consider before going global

Lots of great tips in this episode, and even more great resources at their website.

Listen in!

Guest: 25 July 2024

Denise Miceli is an inspiring, empathic guide and mentor who creates space for women ready for personal growth and change.

She asks “Have you succeeded in one or more areas of your life? yet have a nagging feeling that something is missing?” Matches my statement that my old life is no longer enough.

In this episode, Denise explains

• the subconscious
• how our childhood 0-7 creates many of our adult patterns
• rewiring our subconscious stories
• personal boundaries
• perfectionism
• procrastination

So much food for thought and Denise makes the rewiring sound very doable.

Listen in!

Guest: 18 July 2024

Robert Norris – Bob – comes from pretty strong genetic stock – large extended family who’s Depression-era experiences are reminiscent of “The Grapes of Wrath”.  His mother was a force before women had many rights at all: proving herself as an athlete, standing her ground as a divorced woman, getting a pilot’s license, playing the organ, confronting military leadership when she felt her son was wronged, and becoming a traveler in later life. So perhaps no surprise that Bob stood his ground as a conscientious objector, traveled in the company of other bohemians, and embraced a life in a country with very little in common with America.

In this episode he talks about

• Maintaining oral traditions in our digital time
• The amazing woman who was his mom
• “Pentimento” memories
• Simpler times when little things were big deals
• Being a conscientious objector
• His travels with “European hippies”
• Finding a place in Japan

We end the episode exchanging stories about exchange students.

Listen in!

Guest: 04 July 2024

Therese Nicklas is a Financial Planner, a Certified Money Coach and she describes “True Wealth” as, money, yes, but also what money can’t buy – purpose, passion, unlimited possibilities.

In this episode, Terri explains:

• The two events that focused her mission to make sure women were financially literate
• Why money such an emotional topic
• Why it remains a taboo subject
• Living life by design, not default
• Money mindset: when does it hinder, when is it healthy
• 3 things we can do today to help break a bad money habit
• The 3 Cs of financial freedom

Stay tuned to the end as Terri offers listeners a free financial freedom toolkit.

Listen in!

Guest: 27 June 2024

Adam Zuckerman is the Founder of Buried in Work, a leading eCommerce platform specializing in estate planning/organization, end-of-life tasks, and estate transitions. That service is just a small part of his CV – but the important part he talks about today.

• How organizing his dad’s estate and making sure everything was set up properly for his mom set him on this path
• The disadvantage of leaving accounts (utilities, etc) in a deceased’s name
• Which documents are absolutely necessary and which documents are good ideas, and where to store them
• Power of Attorney, Medical Power of Attorney
• Financial plans/documents
• Who could be your executor
• What happens if you die without a will

While a serious subject, Adam is a lot of fun and keeps it light.

Listen in!

Guest: 13 June 24

Kate Heartsong is the author of “Humanity’s Cry for Change”, written to help you create a happier life, to gain hope, to realize you can make positive changes for yourself and humanity.

Today Kate discusses:

• Interconnectedness and our innate energy
• Our emotions and how to take the steps from the darker ones to the higher vibration ones
• Emotions as energy with some discussion of anger
• Self-care and raising self-esteem
• The Age of Aquarius

Kate exudes optimism and the power of positive thinking… and calm.

Listen in!

Guest: 06 June 24

Tina Dixon-Smith has lived in a number of US cities and chooses to call Las Vegas home, promoting Nevada in general and Las Vegas in particular. She has a number of convincing reasons why it makes sense! Today she discusses:

• The allure of Las Vegas for her
• Non-nationals buying in Las Vegas
• Income and property taxes and insurance costs
• The 10-year visa available to non-nationals
• Things to do, places to see
• Purchase options with some ball-park numbers

Stay tuned to hear about Fil-A-Seat and… if you have grandchildren, how close Disneyland is!

Listen in!

Guest: 23 May 2024

Len Bruskiewitz was born into a business environment so it comes as no surprise he followed that path.  His early career was with some pretty notable companies and then he focused on exit planning for owners of small businesses.

In this episode he discusses:

• Why exit strategy isn’t part of all the other plans that go into business planning
• Options for who might buy
• Why only 20-25% of small businesses that go up for sale actually sell
• What business owners need to do to help make sure a sale happens
• Where good will comes into the equation
• Communication within families
• Who is part of the legalities in exit planning
• And the pitfalls of exit planning

Such clear information from an advisor who has seen a lot.

Listen in.

Guest: 16 May 2024

Ande Lyons has a podcast called “Don’t Be Caged by Your Age”. She has an expression “Pastures are for horses, not humans.”  Needless to say, the conversation revolves around age-ism, in many of its shapes and sizes.

Ande discusses:

• age-ism: corporate, social and internalized
• “retirement” and other aging fallacies
• how pro-aging could save societies billions of dollars
• yes, older folk can learn tech
• “pulling threads” and “patchwork quilt”

So many great thoughts in this conversation today.  So much laughter.

Listen in.

Guest: 02 May 2024

Eve Hall is a Licensed Physical Therapist who treats conditions regarding Sexual Health. She is also a Certified Health Coach who is on a mission to destigmatize conversations about sex and sexual health!

In this episode, Eve discusses health conditions such as:

• Vaginal dryness
• Erectile dysfunction
• Pain
• Incontinence
• Boredom

And other subjects:

• Big Clit energy
• Toys
• Orgasm Equality

So much good info for sexual beings of any age, but especially for those of us in mid-age.

Listen in!

Guest: 25 April 2024

Laura Broome personifies resilience and positivity.  When life gives you lemons… well, Laura could open a lemonade shop.  Laura’s had a series of challenges over her life that might have done another person in.

In this episode, she discusses

• Resilience
• “radical acceptance”
• The three things in your control (your words, your thoughts, your actions)
• How adversity can happen to you but it doesn’t need to define you
• How stepping out of your comfort zone can help you find options
• Our superpowers : skills, talents, passions

In a nutshell, Laura Broome has learned how to turn pain into purpose.

Listen in!

Guest: 11 April 2024

Have you ever contemplated getting into a vehicle and seeing where the road led?  A camperized van, maybe a beautiful RV could be your new home?  Perhaps you’re flying solo however, and the concept of being out there on your own deflates the dream.

Jenell Jones is the solution.  Her Wandering Individuals Network is the RV club for anyone traveling on their own. They are a diverse group who drive everything from big class A motorhomes to car campers.

In this episode, Jenell explains

• her past, which made the lifestyle a fairly easy decision for her
• what makes her RV as much a home as your house
• the club’s route planning and destination decisions
• some of her adventures
• why mid-age women should consider the lifestyle

Jenell hosts a webinar on April 13th to explain more and answer your questions – email freervwebinar@gmail.com to register.

Listen in!

Guest: 04 April 2024

Wendy Battles is on the cybersecurity team at Yale University so she trains and explains to the security aware and the security uninitiated.

In this episode, Wendy discusses:

• Passwords and password managers
• Phishing emails
• Scam phone calls
• How to check for data breaches that might have included your personal information
• Imitation websites

Her Bee Cyber Fit Podcast discusses more of what we discussed today, the link is in the show notes.

Stay tuned to the end when Wendy tells us about her alter ego at Reinvention Rebels.

Listen in!

Guest: 21 March 2024

Greg Kurinec talks to us about “retirement” planning… and what we do with our money as we tackle/plan for this next chapter (and what might happen to that money when we depart this world).

Greg discusses:

• trusts and their efficacy
• considerations for dealing with the tax-person
• social security
• questions to consider when planning

While Greg’s info is American, he gives so much food for thought when having the discussion with our own financial planner in our own country.

Listen in!

Guest: 14 March 2024

After my first few (only) highly disappointing yoga classes I was pleased to have Ellen O’Hara address all my concerns and explain what age/joint/health sensitive yoga should look like.

Ellen discusses:

• Yoga through her nursing lens
• explains vinyasa yoga and trauma-informed yoga
• how to feel comfortable in class
• what the props are and how to use them
• balance, self-awareness, stress reduction

Such great advice and tips for the new yoga participant, the achy yoga participant, the older yoga participant… maybe you’re all three!

Listen in!

Guest: 29 February 2024

Wendy Green is both a Boomer podcaster and a coach to help people find their vision for the next chapter of life.

In this episode we discuss:

• Estrangement from siblings
• Estrangement from children
• Estrangement from friends

Interesting topics as both of us have estrangement in our lives… and there’s a good chance you might too.

I mentioned Wendy’s a Boomer podcaster too.  A bonus discussion is what an amazing experience it is for both of us; how our boomer cohort is very much still on the outside looking in… and how we want you to help us spread the word what a great companion podcasts are, whether you’re a listener or a host.  The subject matter is as varied as the hosts and all the listeners!

Listen in!

Guest: 22 February 2024

From desert combat zones to a battle within, John Lawyer transformed from soldier to spiritual seeker. John’s military service took him to Afghanistan, Kuwait and Iraq.

John is candid about living in war zones with his wife, his culture shock in returning to civilian life, and the VA therapist who may have saved his life.

He explains:

• What is dharma, why is it important?
• How do we navigate the spiritual path in the modern age?
• What is being open to the universe about?
• What is the Stream of Unconsciousness?
• What’s the difference between Spirituality, Art, Science, Philosophy, Religion and Self-Help?

And finally: finding Joy, at any age.

Listen in!

Guest: 08 February 2024

Dave Albin’s company is Firewalk Productions. Firewalking is a 1,000 year old rite of passage ritual and he’s firewalked hundreds of thousands of people.

In this episode, he explains:

• firewalking
• glasswalking
• board breaks and arrow breaks
• why people don’t get burned
• why it is SO empowering for participants

Dave also shares his morning ritual for health and energy.

Stay tuned for his Mom’s dating advice and “Elf on the Shelf”!

Listen in!

Guest: 01 February 2024

Dying.  We’re all going to do it, that‘s a given… but what happens to your property, your heirs, your business after you take your last breath?

Scherrie answers:

• What exactly is estate planning?
• What are assets?
• What are they basic legal forms everyone should have, in terms of estate planning?
• Is planning with a small ,mom and pop business different from a large company with many employees?
• What are considerations for couples and families in asset planning and asset protection?

Listen in!

Guest: 18 January 2024

Mitch Albom wrote the first book. Rob Schwartz lived the reality. What reality?  Morrie Schwartz… you know, Tuesdays With Morrie, was Rob’s dad.

Almost thirty years after his dad died, Rob has released a book: The Wisdom of Morrie: Living and Aging Creatively and Joyfully – manuscripts he found in his dad’s desk years after Morrie had passed.

I ask Rob about his dad, Morrie and also about his Mom, Charlotte.  I love the warmth and pride in his voice when he speaks of them. He gets emotional at one point – it’s such emphasis that love does last forever, even if the body is gone.

Rob and I discuss Morrie’s advice for living a long and happy life, the concept of ‘tension of opposites’… and if you’re thinking those subjects sound a little esoteric, let me assure you, he is his father’s son and Rob keeps the conversation real, and in the present.

I think you’ll find the “personal question” part of this conversation really interesting!

Listen in!

Guest: 11 January 2024

Sometimes when I interview health professionals, their advice sounds great but when they’re 30-40 years younger than me I can’t help but think their knowledge is based on book learning, not experience.  Carol Ebert is the exact opposite: she’s the poster woman for Boomer Women.

Listen in!