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Have you ever had one embarrassing moment — one failed public speaking experience, one bad drawing, one time you couldn't keep up — and quietly decided that was just who you are? That's what this episode is about. After a conversation with psychologist Gail Rice about re-storying our lives, something clicked for Yvonne — and it came straight from her work as a photographer. When she shoots headshots in burst mode, she captures dozens of frames of the same person in seconds. One frame? Guarded. The next? Laughing. Same person, completely different story. And yet most of us are walking around defined by a single frame — one moment, usually from childhood, with very little context and even less life experience. In this solo episode, Yvonne explores what happens when we confuse one awkward moment for the whole truth about who we are — and what it looks like to start creating new frames instead. Because you are not the worst photo ever taken of you. You are the entire album. And the next frame hasn't even been taken yet. 🎧 If this one resonates, go back and listen to last week's conversation with Gail Rice — it's the episode that sparked this one. Late Bloomer Living — because midlife is not the end of becoming.   🌻 If you’re feeling inspired, I’d love for you to share your thoughts about this episode on social media and tag me @latebloomerliving.   🌻Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode!    🌻 Need a little more FUN in your life? Come to The PLAYshop!  Sign up for the waitlist and get in on the fun! 🛼 💥 You can also join the Age Agitators Club for more fun and inspiration as we navigate midlife together. Find out more at https://www.latebloomerliving.com/

Scaring Yourself Alive: How to Re-Story Your Life at Any Age with Gail Rice What does it actually look like to choose expansion over disappearance — not just as an idea, but as a daily act of courage? This one is for the woman who has ever felt the pull to play it smaller, quieter, safer. The one who wonders if her best chapters are behind her. The one who's tired of waiting for permission. Spoiler: the permission slip is yours to write. Gail Rice is a psychologist, writer, and late bloomer who got her psychology degree at 50, built her own practice, and moved to Australia temporarily — then stayed for 40 years. When she turned 70, she felt something she wasn't expecting: an existential dread that she was fading away. Becoming invisible. Losing her voice. So she did something about it. Something unexpected. Something that didn't go the way she planned — and ended up changing everything anyway. In this conversation, we get into: — Why Gail is more afraid of not living than dying — The decision she made at 70 that woke her up (it's not what you think) — What she calls "re-storying" — and how to actually do it — Why the worst moments became the loudest wake-up calls — How regret and anger might be the most useful emotions you're not using — What it means to step onto the stage of your life without a script This one is for the woman who has ever felt the pull to play it smaller, quieter, safer. The one who wonders if her best chapters are behind her. The one who's tired of waiting for permission. Spoiler: the permission slip is yours to write. 🔗 Find Gail Rice on Substack, Instagram, and at gailricepsychologist.com Until next time — bloom like you mean it. 🌸

A sixth-grade teacher told Patricia Lee Lewis her story "could never have happened." She stopped writing creatively until she was in her forties. At 88, she just published her debut historical novel, Thorns of the Mesquite — 15 years in the making. In this conversation we talk about the writing workshop that cracked her open in her mid-forties, why treating your pain as fiction can set you free, what curiosity looks like at 88, and why she believes community is our most powerful tool right now. Patricia Lee Lewis is an award-winning poet, writing retreat leader, and co-founder of the Straw Dog Writers Guild. All profits from her novel go to organizations supporting domestic violence victims and civil rights. Because it's never too late to bloom like you mean it.

When you finally decide to make a change… and life has other plans. In this episode, I’m joined by Beth Schillaci, creator of Roaming Yeti and host of Pop Culture Passport, for an honest conversation about what it looks like to reinvent yourself in midlife—when things don’t go the way you imagined. Beth left behind 25+ years of client work to pursue a more creative, freedom-filled life. But just as she was stepping into that next chapter, a family health crisis changed everything. What followed wasn’t the plan—but it led her somewhere more aligned, more joyful, and more her. We talk about: Letting go of the version of life you thought you’d be living Navigating unexpected detours and emotional pivots Finding creativity and meaning in the “side quests” Redefining success in a season that looks different than expected If you’ve ever felt like your timeline got disrupted—or like you’re trying to force something that no longer fits—this conversation is a gentle reminder that a better path might already be unfolding.   🌻 If you’re feeling inspired, I’d love for you to share your thoughts about this episode on social media and tag me @latebloomerliving.   🌻Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode!    🌻 Need a little more FUN in your life? Come to The PLAYshop!  Sign up for the waitlist and get in on the fun! 🛼 💥   You can also join the Age Agitators Club for more fun and inspiration as we navigate midlife together. Find out more at https://www.latebloomerliving.com/  

What if the clarity you've been grinding for has been waiting for you in the quiet all along? Theresa Crisci has years of experience helping people reconnect with their bodies — first as a massage therapist, then as an interfaith minister — and she's learned that our most important insights rarely arrive when we're pushing harder. They arrive when we finally stop. In this conversation, Theresa shares the moment under the stars at Acadia National Park that changed the entire direction of her life, how her body kept sending signals she didn't know how to read, and why slowing down is often the most courageous — and productive — thing we can do. We also talk about: Why the body is always communicating — and what happens when we ignore it How to tell the difference between intuition and fear What to do when you can't get quiet enough to hear anything at all Why burnout might actually be an invitation, not a failure Simple practices for raising your vibration when you're stuck in a low moment If you've been feeling that quiet nudge you keep talking yourself out of, this one is for you. 🌐 totalbalancelifechoice.com 📷 Instagram: @theresakcrisci 💼 LinkedIn: Theresa K. Crisci   🌻 If you’re feeling inspired, I’d love for you to share your thoughts about this episode on social media and tag me @latebloomerliving. 🌻Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode!  🌻 Need a little more FUN in your life? Come to The PLAYshop!  Sign up for the waitlist and get in on the fun! 🛼 💥   You can also join the Age Agitators Club for more fun and inspiration as we navigate midlife together. Find out more at https://www.latebloomerliving.com/

So many of us arrive at midlife carrying parts of ourselves we've never quite made peace with. The shameful parts. The doubting parts. The ones we've spent years trying to fix, hide, or outrun. What if those parts aren't the problem — and accepting them is actually the key to feeling more free? That's the heart of my conversation this week with Dana Hilmer, coach, positive psychology practitioner, and founder of Wiser & Free. Dana brings a rare kind of honesty to this topic — not from a place of having it all figured out, but from genuinely doing the work herself. We talk about the two women who shaped her relationship with aging — her grandmother, who was "a basket of sunshine" right up to the end, and her mother, whose unlived life became Dana's most powerful lesson. We get into beliefs and how to change them, what your body has been trying to tell you, the difference between surrendering and giving up, and why gratitude sometimes needs a gentler on-ramp. Dana also shares something that stopped me in my tracks — the way she talks to her own chronic pain. It's one of the most radical acts of self-compassion I've heard on this show. And she closes with three words that I think a lot of us need to hear right now. Why not me? 🎁 Free workbook from Dana — no email required: wiserandfree.com/knowingyou   🌻 If you’re feeling inspired, I’d love for you to share your thoughts about this episode on social media and tag me @latebloomerliving.   🌻Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode!    🌻 Need a little more FUN in your life? Come to The PLAYshop!  Sign up for the waitlist and get in on the fun! 🛼 💥   You can also join the Age Agitators Club for more fun and inspiration as we navigate midlife together. Find out more at https://www.latebloomerliving.com/

Have you ever sat down to do your work and wondered… how does any of this matter right now? That question shaped this conversation. Before creativity consultant and author Melissa Dinwiddie and I even hit record, we found ourselves talking about something that didn’t fit neatly into a typical interview. With so much happening in the world, it can feel strangely difficult to focus on the work we care about — especially work related to creativity, play, and innovation. Melissa is the author of the new book Innovation at Work, which explores how experimentation, curiosity, and small creative risks can help teams generate ideas and solve problems. But in this conversation, we go deeper than business or leadership. We talk about what it means to keep creating when the world feels heavy. In this episode we explore: why fear and uncertainty often shut down creativity • how perfectionism keeps people from starting anything at all • the surprising power of small creative experiments • why joy and creativity can actually be forms of resistance • and how community and connection help us stay engaged instead of shutting down Melissa also shares a personal story about rediscovering her own creativity after years of feeling blocked — and how a simple 15-minute daily practice changed everything. If you’ve been feeling the tension between wanting to contribute something meaningful and feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world, you’re not alone. This conversation is a reminder that play and creativity aren’t escapism — they’re fuel.   🌻 If you’re feeling inspired, I’d love for you to share your thoughts about this episode on social media and tag me @latebloomerliving.   🌻Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode!    🌻 Need a little more FUN in your life? Come to The PLAYshop!  Sign up for the waitlist and get in on the fun! 🛼 💥   You can also join the Age Agitators Club for more fun and inspiration as we navigate midlife together. Find out more at https://www.latebloomerliving.com/

The world feels heavy right now.   In this conversation with award-winning filmmaker Sky Bergman, we explore how storytelling — especially across generations — can remind us that we’re not alone.   Sky shares what she learned while filming The Jollytologist®, her new documentary about humorist Allen Klein, and reflects on why humor, curiosity, and connection matter even more in difficult seasons.   We talk about grief and laughter, empathy in divided times, and the simple but radical power of listening to each other’s stories.   If you’ve been feeling the weight of the world… this one is for you. *And be sure to listen to last week's episode with the Jollytologist® himself, Allen Klein.  I guarantee you'll feel better.    🌻 If you’re feeling inspired, I’d love for you to share your thoughts about this episode on social media and tag me @latebloomerliving.   🌻Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode!    🌻 Need a little more FUN in your life? Come to The PLAYshop!  Sign up for the waitlist and get in on the fun! 🛼    You can also join the Age Agitators Club for more fun and inspiration as we navigate midlife together. Find out more at https://www.latebloomerliving.com/

Grief and joy are not opposites. In this episode, I’m joined by Allen Klein — known as “The Jollytologist” — for a deeply human conversation about loss, resilience, and the surprising role humor can play in hard seasons of life. After his wife’s three-year battle with a rare liver disease, Allen found himself navigating profound grief while raising their 10-year-old daughter. In the midst of hospital rooms and uncertainty, something unexpected kept showing up: laughter. We talk about: The hospital moment that reshaped his understanding of grief Why humor can be healing — even in hospice Getting kicked out of Yale Drama School (and why it turned out to be a gift) The power of play, perspective, and choosing how we respond Allen’s life and work are now the subject of a new documentary, The Jollytologist, directed by Sky Bergman. In our next episode, I’ll be speaking with Sky about the making of the film and why this story feels especially relevant right now. There will also be an upcoming online screening before the film heads to festivals — I’ll be sharing details as soon as registration opens. This isn’t a conversation about pretending everything is fine. It’s about holding sorrow and joy at the same time — and discovering that sometimes laughter isn’t denial… it’s relief. If you’re navigating loss, transition, or simply wondering how to stay open and playful in a complicated world, I hope this episode brings you comfort.

It’s National Heart Month. And if loneliness affects the heart as much as research suggests… we need to widen the conversation. When we talk about heart health, we usually focus on cholesterol, steps per day, and cardio routines. All important. But what about the relational side of heart health? In this solo episode of Late Bloomer Living, Yvonne Marchese explores how midlife transitions — parenting adult children, career pivots, menopause, divorce, retirement, grief, and reinvention — can quietly shift our sense of belonging. Because you can feel lonely even in a crowded room. Drawing from her own recent experience of losing a dear friend, Yvonne reflects on how meaningful conversations, community, and play helped soften grief and metabolize the heaviness of the world. She weaves in research from: U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, who has called loneliness a public health crisis Harvard psychologist Dr. Ellen Langer on the mind–body connection Yale researcher Dr. Becca Levy on how beliefs about aging impact longevity and cardiovascular stress This episode also explores: Why loneliness isn’t just emotional — it’s biological How chronic self-criticism activates stress in the body Why self-care is more than bubble baths If you’re navigating a season of identity shift and craving deeper belonging — with others and with yourself — this conversation is for you.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, this episode offers a reminder that love doesn’t only live in romance — it also lives in friendship, shared purpose, and meaningful connection. In this conversation, Yvonne sits down with Gail Zelitsky and Catherine Marienau, co-hosts of the podcast, Women Over 70: Aging Reimagined, to talk about how a friendship formed later in life grew into a powerful creative partnership. Gail and Catherine share their individual paths — from unexpected reinvention and advocacy work to mentoring women returning to school later in life — and how their shared values eventually led them to build a platform amplifying the voices of women in their 70s, 80s, and beyond. Together, they explore what it means to form deep friendships later in life, why collaboration looks different as we age, and how purpose and possibility don’t disappear with time — they often deepen. This episode is part 2 of a series highlighting women who found friendship later in life and turned it into something meaningful. Gail and Catherine aren’t just talking about what’s possible after 70 — they’re living it.

Midlife has a way of surfacing questions many women have carried quietly for years — about identity, desire, change, and who they’re becoming now. In this episode, Yvonne is joined by writers and editors Dina Aronson and Dina Alvarez, co-editors of Midlife Private Parts, a deeply honest anthology that reflects the many ways women experience midlife. Together, they explore what happens when women stop editing themselves and start telling the truth — about reinvention, menopause, friendship, pleasure, invisibility, grief, creativity, and growth. This conversation is a reminder that midlife isn’t something to get through or fix — it’s something to inhabit fully. If you’ve ever felt unsure, stuck, or quietly wondered if you were alone in how you’re feeling… this episode is for you.  

The Real Reason You Keep Saying Yes When You Mean No - And What to Do About It   Many women spend decades being the reliable one — the helper, the fixer, the one who always says yes. Somewhere along the way, it can start to feel exhausting… and a little confusing. In this episode of Late Bloomer Living, I’m joined by returning guest Wendy Perrotti, a master-level certified coach, speaker, and author who helps women over 50 create what’s next in their lives. Together, we explore why people pleasing isn’t a personality flaw — it’s a coping strategy shaped by culture, values, and a desire to feel safe and needed.   We talk about: Why overgiving often feels so hard to let go of How thought patterns keep people-pleasing in place What healthy boundaries actually look like (and why they don’t have to feel harsh) Why midlife is such a powerful moment for reclaiming yourself How play and experimentation can gently guide reinvention Wendy also shares the story behind her new book, Keep the Tomato — a grown-up picture book for people pleasers — and how learning to “keep a few tomatoes for yourself” can change everything. If you’ve been feeling tired of always being the one who gives, this conversation offers clarity, compassion, and permission to begin choosing yourself again.

Why trying something scary can unlock your next chapter What happens when you give yourself permission to be a beginner again — in midlife? In this episode of Late Bloomer Living, Yvonne Marchese is joined by her friend Marc Ronick for a candid conversation about play, fear, and reinvention. After more than 20 years in podcasting, Marc decided to try something that genuinely scared him: improv classes. What began as a way to stretch his skills as a live podcaster quickly became a powerful personal practice — helping him loosen perfectionism, reconnect with play, and navigate a challenging season of growth in his 50s. Together, Yvonne and Marc talk about: What it’s really like to walk into a room as a beginner later in life How improv helped Marc show up more fully — on the mic and in life Building a generous, supportive community through The Podcasting Morning Chat Producing a podcasting conference for the first time in midlife Why passion has to be bigger than fear if we want to grow This episode is a reminder that play isn’t frivolous, being scared doesn’t mean you’re wrong, and midlife may be the perfect time to let go of the script and try something new.

Most of us don’t think of ourselves as playful — especially at work. Play can feel awkward, indulgent, or like something we were supposed to outgrow. But what if that discomfort is actually pointing us toward something essential? In this episode of Late Bloomer Living, Yvonne Marchese sits down with playful change maker Brandi Heather to explore why play feels so uncomfortable for adults — and why that resistance might be exactly the clue we’re missing. For many of us, the word work no longer fits the shape of our lives — or it fits very differently than it once did. Careers change. Some end. Some slow down. But the work of living doesn’t stop. And neither does our need for creativity, connection, and a sense of aliveness. Brandi spent over 20 years as a kinesiology and health sciences professor before bringing her work into organizations, helping teams use play (often without calling it that) to reduce stress, improve communication, and unlock creativity. This isn’t about ping-pong tables in the break room or forced fun. It’s about nervous system regulation, self-awareness, resilience, and creating environments — at work and beyond — where people feel confident, connected, and capable of doing their best work. If you’ve ever thought, “Play sounds nice, but I have deadlines,” this conversation is for you. This episode matters because play isn’t a luxury — it’s a missing piece in how we work, cope, and stay human as adults.