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What is a "good death"? Cheryl Amari, M.A., C.T. has been talking about grief-related topics with people of all ages for almost three decades. She knows what a "good death" is and what all types of grieving entails. Her work as a high school teacher, mortuary college instructor, grief coach and workshop facilitator has helped countless individuals learn how to grieve well and live well. As an entrepreneur, Cheryl started her own grief business to offer hope and healing through education. She supports people of all ages, through conversation and specialized workshops, as they navigate times of change and transition. She currently works as a hospice bereavement coordinator and public speaker. Cheryl holds a Master’s degree in Pastoral Counseling (from Boston College, Maria's alma mater) and is Certified in Thanatology. She is a member of the Association for Death Education and Counseling and the Hospice Foundation of America. She has written blogs and articles on various aspects of grief, as well as her newly released book, Why I Don’t Wear High Heels When Grieving: Musings on Loss, Hope, and Resilience.  Why I Don't Wear High Heels When Grieving is a down-to-earth guide to coping with loss that examines grief with a wide lens to include death, but also non-death losses such as chronic illness, job changes, frayed relationships, infertility, financial struggles, and stressful situations. With an unexpectedly cheeky tone, Cheryl draws upon her personal experiences and her work as a bereavement specialist to present contemporary research and grief theories through examples, real-life stories and illustrations. In this eye-opening book, the nuances of grief are explored in a life-affirming, hopeful and even entertaining manner. Topics covered include: Modern theories that go beyond the "five stages of grief"Differences between grief and depressionWhat it means to have a "good death"How grief affects our bodies, minds, behaviors, spiritual life, and social connectionsWhy an attitude of gratitude may be more detrimental than helpfulThe role that gender, societal expectations, and other factors play in our reactions to lossPolitics and social justice in griefMeaningful rituals that aid in the healing processCheryl uses candor and wit to debunk myths and emphasize that grieving well is the key to living well. A unique three-step approach with practical strategies helps readers deal with any type of loss. Summarizing statements and insightful reflection prompts at the end of each chapter encourage a deeper understanding of grief and greater self-awareness. Readers discover that even in the midst of doubt and despair, there is a path forward. Cheryl uses her energy and creativity in her grief work and also in her role as a tap dance instructor and choreographer. You can find her performing at senior living facilities or anywhere there’s an audience! She joins us from the Boston area. If you’d like to book Cheryl for a grief presentation or interview, contact her at [email protected].

Are you too old to reinvent yourself? The answer is no. Wendi Knox is a professional uplifter, author, and artist. In her past life, she was the only female Senior Vice-President/Creative Director at one of the largest advertising agencies in Los Angeles, creating multimedia ad campaigns for brands like Honda and Acura. Her award-winning commercials have been directed by the Academy Award-winning Coen Brothers, starred William Wegman's famous Weimaraners, and were profiled in The New York Times. At 50, Wendi lost her job and found herself sobbing in her backyard, asking the Universe, “Am I too old to reinvent myself?” Her answer came in the form of hundreds of red dragonflies filling her backyard with magic (for four days)! Learning that dragonflies don’t fly until later in life sparked a new purpose for Wendi and inspired her to create a unique paradigm for transformation as we age. Today, she’s on a mission to help women see aging not as a decline, but as an opportunity to grow new wings. Through her “Breaking Out of the Age Cage” illustrated talks and inspiring workshops, Wendi is working to rebrand aging as an opportunity for Becoming More of Who We Are, Not Less of What We Were. Like the dragonfly, she is soaring later in life, having her first book, From Muck to Magic, published and her first solo art show at 65. It is a beautiful picture book for adults that celebrates each person's inner child. Now at 72, she has published her second book, The Way of the Dragonfly: Flight Instructions to Transform the Way We Age. The book is a soulful, witty, and deeply empowering guide for women ready to rise above our youth-obsessed culture and embrace aging on their own terms. Inspired by her life-changing encounter with hundreds of red dragonflies, Wendi reframes the aging process. Blending personal storytelling, spiritual insight, tools, exercises and “Dragonflying Lessons,” this book invites readers to shed old ageist beliefs, reveal their true colors, and soar with purpose and joy at any age. In this episode, we discuss Wendi's book and work, but also get into her experience with a loved one dealing with the devastating effects of marijuana and cannabis induced psychosis. She recommends that anyone whose lives are touched by this situation go to EveryBrainMatters.org. Wendi has so much wisdom to share with us. She talks about the fetches (the word for a gathering of dragon flies) she organizes for women in the Ojai area, making "I've done" lists instead of "to do" lists, talking back to her "bitch Edna" negative voice in her head, how intuition is the voice of her heart and soul, how tears are like rainwater that help your metaphorical garden to grow, and more. One of my favorite quotes of Wendi's, a former executive in the advertising world: "Marketing a book is a pain in the algorithm!" So true! These days, Wendi is blessed to live in magical Ojai with her husband Will (she followed her intuition and married this extraordinary man after only dating him for two months, a decision that may be one of the best she's made, given what I know about him), fur baby Blossom and a colorful assortment of dragonflies. To find out more about Wendi and her work, fly over to WendiKnox.com. Follow Wendi: https://wendiknox.com/ (where there are links to buy her book on her landing page) Instagram: @wendiknoxuplifter: https://www.instagram.com/wendiknoxuplifter/?hl=en Facebook: @WendiKnoxAuthor https://www.facebook.com/wendiknoxauthor/ LinkedIn: Wendi Knox https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendiknox/ Featured Profile in Ageist Magazine: https://www.ageist.com/profile/wendi-knox-71-soaring-after-midlife/ Essay in Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper: https://mariashriver.com/time-to-break-out-age-cage/ Interview on Mariel Hemingway’s Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBT_WO7e9F4 Interview on NPR’s 51%: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7vjVk_ZQPY

After a devastating health diagnosis, and being told she'd never work again, Sarah Jakle, MSW, MPP picked herself up and changed her life, turning her focus to helping others. She uses her skills and experience to empower young women. Sarah founded DemocraShe to equip high school girls from historically underserved communities with not only civic skills, but also brain-based techniques for overcoming self-doubt and leading boldly. When she shows these young women how to take practical, science-backed steps like befriending their inner critical voice, she sees them begin to see their birthright as leaders. I am proud to say that I became a DemocraShe mentor this year and it is a rewarding way of giving back! Sarah believes in the transformative impact of sharing real stories and building spaces where women feel seen and empowered to choose themselves. Her trainings blend inclusion, neuroscience and social justice. She also guides adults seeking resilience and hope in uncertain times. DemocraShe "offers free online trainings, including a Flagship Program with 10-week cohorts designed to build self-confidence and self-advocacy, cultivate collaboration, nurture ambition and make leadership concrete and accessible. Critically, we arm teen girls with resiliency skills to become transformational leaders, as well as the strategies needed to counter the external barriers and internal negative narratives that so often prevent women from fulfilling their potential." DemocraShe is shaping a new generation of confident, resilient leaders. Her work has connected her with more than 6,000 women activists and leaders who are eager for inspiration and growth. You can apply to serve as a mentor to a young woman via the DemocraShe website. Sarah previously served as the Get Out The Vote Director for the California National Association for Women. Empowering women to hold political office has been a focus of Sarah since she first interned at the Women's Council of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Sarah earned her bachelor's degree from Yale, her master's degree in social work from USC and her master's degree in public policy from UCLA. Sarah has dedicated her life’s work to lifting up communities -- spending the first decade of her career working on behalf of people coping with mental illness and homelessness and bringing compassion-based resiliency skills into her current work with women. She was a 2017 fellow with Organizing for Action, a 2025 How Women Lead Movement Builders fellow, served on the Board of Directors for Urban Partners Los Angeles, and serves on the Advisory Council of the Santa Monica YMCA. In this episode, we talk about using one's inner best friend, inflection points in our lives, societal influences, the importance of grounding, and more. Sarah also shares DemocraShe's remarkable success stories. The young women who apply to participate in DemocraShe are utterly impressive. Sarah is making a difference in the world, one young woman at a time. Learn more and follow: democrashe.org https://www.facebook.com/democrasheorg# https://www.instagram.com/democrasheorg/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/democrashe/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-jakle-535617240/ https://www.tiktok.com/@democrasheorg

In 2017, Marie lost her son suddenly, less than two years after her mother’s unexpected passing. Even in her darkest hours, she refused to let grief define her. For more than 15 years, Marie Crews has guided and empowered women through growth and transformation. Along her 25-year journey of self-discovery, she realized her journal-writing practice was what anchored her healing the most. This led her to create "The Nautilus Way: Write Your Way Free," a proven process that accelerates emotional breakthroughs -- including integrating grief, releasing trauma and navigating life’s transitions. As a coach, speaker and retreat facilitator, Marie helps clients rewire limiting beliefs, gain clarity, develop confidence and shape their lives with intention. Marie’s story is one of resilience and reinvention. Raised in poverty in rural Louisiana, she became a single mother of two at a young age. Her desire to break the cycle for her children fueled her pursuit to create a life of stability. Feeling called to support women's healing, she left corporate America to launch her coaching practice and resumed psychology studies focused on the mind-body connection. Her persistence in rising from profound loss, combined with years of coaching experience, uniquely qualifies her to guide women with compassion, courage and hope. She helps her clients see that grief magnifies the fears and viewpoints that already exist within a person and learn how to hold grief and joy at the same time. Marie has led life-changing women’s retreats for more than seven years. She recently built a Gulf-front home in Florida as a dedicated space to host these transformational experiences. Her retreats focus on deep healing, confidence and personal awakening and she also offers one exclusively for grieving mothers. In every setting, her attendees gain validation, self-trust and a renewed sense of peace and direction. Marie's bestselling novel is Even When...She Rose. The book contains her journey growing up with an absent father and an exhausted, single mother who was trying to work and raise four children. She unknowingly repeated her mom’s pattern by marrying young and becoming a divorced, uneducated mother of two. This contemporary novel looks like a timeless tale of hardship on the surface, but it reaches much farther into the depths of the challenges of motherhood, raising a special needs child, loss and triumph, in ways few writers have. Many readers find validation in this book, and courage to rise. Marie provides an online course as the starting point, which includes two sessions of working with her. She also does workshops for groups. Book a free consultation on her website. Learn more: www.mariecrews.com https://www.facebook.com/marieeurecrews https://www.tiktok.com/@empowermentandgriefguide #griefguide #becomingyourbestversionpodcast #womeninmidlife #fiftyafter50 #navigatinggrief

Do you find yourself repeating things your parents did to you or around you that you vowed never to do? Do you seek more joy in the parenting journey? Listen to this episode. Mary Willcox Smith helps families build strong, emotionally healthy relationships through her keynotes, coaching and courses—one MicroStep at a time. Mary is a speaker, author and creator of the MicroStep Method® — a research-backed framework that helps parents understand why they keep doing the thing they swore they'd never do, and what to reach for instead. A mother of four daughters born within five years, Mary blends lived parenting experience with neuroscience and child development to show why it's not programs, perfection or pressure that create lasting change — but the small, overlooked moments that are already happening every day. She is the author of Small Moments, Big Impact: The MicroStep Method for the Overwhelmed Parent and speaks nationally for schools, PTAs and parent-education organizations. A Master Certified Life Coach and Positive Discipline Expert, Mary helps navigate the hard parts of parenting so moms (and dads!) can feel empowered, equipped and ready to handle whatever life — and their kids — throw their way. She offers personal coaching, as well. Her MBA is from INSEAD a top business school in France.    Her book guides readers on a transformative journey, showing you how to chart a straight course through the commotion and, at the same time, how to rediscover the simple joys of parenting. Integrating 25 years of experience, the best of child development research and neuroscience, The MicroStep Method for the Overwhelmed Parent equips parents with easy-to-implement and customizable scripts for connection and growth. We come to parenting with an "emotional backpack that's filled with all the crap that we bring from childhood," Mary says. Mary helps parent unpack their big T and little t traumas to enjoy parenting more fully. Learn more and follow Mary: https://marysmithparentcoach.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-willcox-smith/ https://www.facebook.com/mfrsmith https://www.instagram.com/marysmithparentcoach/ Links mentioned during the interview: Accepting is Not Agreeing: https://marysmithparentcoach.com/s/Accept-not-Agree-MicroStep-Method.pdf The Repair: https://marysmithparentcoach.com/s/Repair-HEAL-MicroStep-Method.pdf

Combining her rich background and expertise in psychology and leadership development, alongside her authentic blend of energy, humor, and strategic questions, Jordana Cole enables leaders to ignite behavioral change and spark transformation that not only sticks, it spreads. As an organizational consultant, workshop facilitator and leadership coach, Jordana has designed and led talent strategy and leadership programs for thousands of individuals across all levels and roles around the globe.  Prior to launching her consulting and coaching practice, Jordana led enterprise learning and development functions for a decade within technology, financial services, e-commerce, and nonprofit industries. Jordana’s worked with a number of Fortune 100 companies and companies on the Best Companies to Work For list. Jordana is an alumna of the University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Applied Positive Psychology program and has served as an instructor for undergraduate and graduate courses related to positive organizations and human strengths & resilience. She is also certified as a PCC level coach from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and a Gallup Strengths Coach, with experience coaching more than 250 leaders worldwide. As a lead faculty member for the Center for Human Potential's Self-Actualization Coaching Program, Jordana equips cohorts of professional coaches with research-backed tools to help clients surface their needs and embrace their whole selves.  Jordana believes that leadership is the most needed and most durable skillset in our changing world, and the one that AI can't replace.  She's been featured on a variety of podcasts and webinars discussing the connections between leadership, well-being, AI, and organizational success. She's on a mission to help everyone lead themselves and others better through uncertainty. Her TEDx talk on this topic: "What to Do When You Don't Know What's Next" currently ranks in the top 10% of views for all TEDx talks globally. She believes that leadership coaching should create thriving leaders and teams, not just fix bad behaviors. "Leadership coaching is for everyone, not only the C-Suite," Jordana says. "My comprehensive coaching approach blends strengths, leadership development, and positive & humanistic psychology. I’m here to help you not only turn the lightbulbs on, but to actually spark personal transformation. By the end of coaching, you'll have more self-awareness, more confidence in your interactions with others, and feel energized and capable to be an impactful leader today, tomorrow, and in the future." Learn more: https://ignitedbyjordana.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordana-cole-mapp-pcc-a8445a8/

With corporations getting ever larger – and even able to influence the outcome of presidential elections – the power of a single individual might seem lost. But it’s alive and well. Sandy Rosenthal is an experienced community mobilizer, most notable for founding the nonprofit Levees.org, with 25,000 supporters nationwide. Her 2020 book, Words Whispered in Water, explores how she — against all odds — altered the national narrative about the deadly flooding in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. InWords Whispered in Water: Why the Levees Broke in Hurricane Katrina, Sandy gives a first-person narrative of the 2005 flooding and its aftermath, thrusting her into her role as a leading voice for fact-based responses to flood threats. She describes her transformation into an advocate for education on the history of flood control failures after Hurricane Katrina had moved inland, and her subsequent work as a watchdog tracking the responses of government and media in the hours, weeks and years after the floodwalls first gave way. A special Anniversary Edition of her book, featuring a new cover and foreword, went on sale in August 2025, timed with the 20th anniversary of the catastrophe. The catastrophic flooding of New Orleans in 2005 brought levees into the public consciousness. Yet, flooding now seems to be happening almost everywhere. The majority of the nation’s population lives in counties protected by levees. Sandy’s organization brings awareness to the dangers posed by this situation. Her organization has a strong physical presence in New Orleans, including the Flooded House Museum and the Levee Exhibit Hall at a major breach site. The organization has also installed three historic plaques vetted by the state’s preservation office and hosts an annual levee breach bike tour, among other public education efforts. For these efforts, Sandy has received numerous awards, including Outstanding Social Entrepreneur of the Year from Tulane University and Most Influential Woman from Mount Holyoke College. She is an advocate for the 62% of the American population living in counties protected by levees. Rosenthal has been married to Stephen Rosenthal since 1979 and has three adult married children and two grandchildren. Sandy is also the co-host of The Slingshot podcast and host of the former Beat the Big Guys podcast. Points we cover in this episode: ​The igniting moment that made her decide to fight the Army Corps of Engineers​The big mistake that the Army Corps made​Her shining moment in exposing the Army Corps' bad behavior​What she would have done differently in the battle​How her group continues to help people fight bullies and bad actors Learn more: SandyRosenthal.net/   LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/RosenthalSandy

Have you considered natural self-healing as an alternative to traditional Western medicine? Sarah Dawkins is a leading authority in natural self-healing, bringing 20 years of clinical expertise as a Registered Nurse to her transformative work. Having personally navigated and healed from decades of health challenges, Sarah uniquely combines her medical background with a profound understanding of mindset, beliefs and holistic coaching. She specializes in guiding midlife professional women from the depths of burnout, overwhelm and chronic conditions like autoimmune issues, fatigue and pain, to renewed vitality. Known for facilitating rapid and profound transformations, Sarah's approach is rooted in compassionate conversations and evidence-based strategies. As the author of an Amazon #1 book, Heal Yourself and the award-winning host of the Mind Body Medicine for Self Healers podcast, she is a trusted voice empowering women to heal their minds, bodies and souls. Her unique blend of medical insight and holistic wisdom provides a credible, empathetic and results-driven path for those ready to reclaim their health, energy and purpose. Sarah joined us from Spain and is originally from the U.K. Learn more:  https://www.sarahdawkins.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdawkins-holistichealthcoach/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dawkinsse Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.dawkins.health X: https://x.com/dawkins_sarah YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SarahDawkinsHealth Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0yBLqeIPxkhgymnpGMCcMZ and https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mind-body-medicine-for-self-healers/id1670856549

Ever thought of hitting the road in a retrofitted van? Victoria Lee Starr did it in midlife and found her true self. She became a guide for women through the sacred season of midlife reinvention, helping them reclaim self-trust, inner safety and their authentic power. Using transformational breathwork, guided microdosing support, somatic ritual and emotional excavation, her work meets women in the places most avoid... the unraveling, the burning, the falling apart...and transforms those moments into a becoming. Victoria’s own awakening began in Costa Rica, when everything she thought she needed to feel loved, safe or worthy started to collapse. What looked like failure was actually her Rite of Passage into self-trust, honesty and the woman you become when you stop abandoning yourself. After leaving an emotionally abusive relationship, Victoria rebuilt her life from the ground up and spent nearly four years living full-time in her Ram Promaster van with her dog, Olivia Grace. Her van became her initiation chamber, a sacred space to learn to trust her body, intuition, truth and the quiet voice that had been waiting decades to lead. Victoria works through psychological wisdom, nervous system healing, transformational breathwork, guided microdosing, intuitive channeling, somatic rituals and emotional excavation. She helps women fully be themselves in midlife, showing them that falling apart is often the beginning of becoming. She calls herself a "spiritual outlaw" because she refuses to heal or lead within the confines of traditional systems, surface-level fixes or fluff. "This work is not about bypassing the hard stuff, it’s about entering the sacred, messy, untamed places where real healing lives," Victoria says. "I walk between realms of emotional, spiritual, somatic and psychological and I'm not here to guide women to think their way into peace. I guide you to feel, to embody and to remember. A spiritual outlaw breaks the rules of what healing is 'supposed to' look like; doesn’t fix you — she walks with you as you unlearn the lies and reclaim your soul; channels deep wisdom that comes from lived experience, intuition and higher intelligence — not just certifications; uses non-linear tools like breathwork, somatic ritual and emotional excavation to guide people back to their power; refuses spiritual bypassing and meets you in the root of it — trauma, lineage, nervous system patterns — and helps transmute them into gold; and is wildly intuitive, slightly rebellious, deeply grounded and divinely guided." In this episode, we talk about: --Midlife as a Rite of Passage --Why women in their 40s, 50s and 60s are unraveling and why this is actually the beginning of their becoming. --Being a Spiritual Outlaw --The future of healing beyond fluffy positivity and patriarchal conditioning --Breathwork + Microdosing using natural, non-addictive medicine for Emotional Reinvention --A grounded, embodied approach for women ready to reclaim self-trust and inner safety. --Living on the Road After Burning Down Your Life --Lessons from four years of nomadic living about freedom, intuition and rebuilding identity. --Rebirth After Divorce, Abuse and Identity Collapse --How to trust yourself again when everything familiar has fallen away. She offers free resources: Her Guided Meditation Collection consists of short, soul-nourishing meditations for midlife transformation: https://www.victorialeestarr.com/free-meditation Breathe with Intention: Your Toolkit Practical breathwork exercises to reclaim calm, clarity and self-trust: https://www.victorialeestarr.com/free-breathe-toolkit Hot Flashes Breathwork A focused practice for navigating menopause with embodiment and empowerment: https://www.victorialeestarr.com/hotflashes Learn more: Website: https://www.victorialeestarr.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victorialeestarr/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/victorialeestarr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-starr-68495a280/

Oona Metz is a nationally recognized therapist and author who has spent more than 30 years studying the strange, tender, deeply human ways we navigate relationships, self-abandonment and change. Her new book, Unhitched: The Essential Divorce Guide for Women (Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster), launched in January and has already earned remarkable attention. Gayle King praised it on CBS Mornings, Maria Shriver highlighted it in her newsletter, Time Magazine ran an exclusive excerpt, and it’s been featured on CBS News and NPR's Morning Edition. It also quickly became a top divorce book on Amazon. She speaks candidly about why women initiate nearly 70% of divorces, and how that statistic is less about endings and more about awakening — about the cumulative weight of emotional labor, the slow erosion of self and the eventual decision to choose alignment, truth and self-trust. Oona’s work is deeply aligned with conversations about reinvention and becoming. In this episode, we discuss: • the quiet realization that something needs to change• the emotional courage it takes to leave a life that once made sense• the nonlinear path from grief to clarity to self-reclamation• how women rediscover identity and purpose in midlife• the unexpected freedom and possibility that can follow loss• what it means to consciously step into a new version of yourself Her five-phase model of divorce grief offers a thoughtful framework for understanding the emotional arc of transformation — not just as loss, but as a process of becoming. As both a therapist and someone who rebuilt her own life after divorce, Oona brings a rare blend of clinical depth and lived wisdom to conversations about resilience, reinvention and the deeply human process of beginning again. Oona is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, a Certified Group Psychotherapist and a Fellow of the American Group Psychotherapy Association. She has three decades of clinical experience and specializes in treating women navigating divorce. She leads three weekly Divorce Support Groups and is the founder of the Beacon Group Fellowship, a program which trains mental health professionals across the country to lead divorce groups. She has given over 100 talks and workshops locally, nationally and internationally.  Learn more: www.oonametz.com https://www.instagram.com/oonametz/ https://www.facebook.com/womennavigatingdivorce/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/oona-metz-licsw-cgp-6a14a41b/ https://www.youtube.com/@OonaMetz https://www.oonametz.com/book-unhitched https://time.com/7344525/why-women-divorce/ https://www.cbsnews.com/video/why-more-women-are-initiating-divorce/

"Aging is the ultimate triumph of living," says ageism & longevity specialist, Helen Hirsh Spence. Helen is a later-in-life Canadian entrepreneur, speaker and age-equity advocate. She also is a leader navigating the demographic shift; TEDx and global speaker, author; age provocateur & mindset shifter; older & multigenerational workforce expert; and founder of Top Sixty Over Sixty. Top Sixty Over Sixty is a social enterprise advancing age inclusion, longevity literacy, and healthy ageing across workplaces and communities. Helen consults with businesses, communities and individuals to help them become age-ready for their longer lifespans.  Her TEDx talk on embracing a longevity mindset was among the most viewed globally the month it aired. Helen urges us in the Talk to reject the longstanding negative perspective on aging and, instead, to embrace our later years as a time filled with growth, promise and opportunity. Top Sixty Over Sixty advances longevity literacy by providing the tools and training to eliminate age bias and promote age diversity. Top Sixty drives success by resetting thinking, unlocking potential and leveraging the talent of all generations. "We provide consulting, speaking and training to businesses. We help reframe the age narrative, address age biases and myths, and leverage the talent of the multigenerational workforce. Through coursework, training and coaching, we show mature adults how to renew and reinvest their knowledge, skills and experience to reinvent themselves with purpose. Created in 2017, Top Sixty Over Sixty focused on older Canadians and encouraged them to reinvent themselves to meet new work and entrepreneurial challenges. Top Sixty Over Sixty continues to evolve.  It works with progressive businesses and organizations to maximize efficiency, innovation, and prosperity.  We offer practical guidance on how to engage an ageing workforce and create stronger sales opportunities for ageing customer segments. We do this in four ways: We motivate and re-skill older adults by introducing an entrepreneurial mindset.We help employers transform their multigenerational workforces into innovative, intergenerational teams.We advise businesses on how to attract and retain a diversely aged workforce.We show progressive businesses how to avoid age-bias in their branding, hiring, and communications.Top Sixty Over Sixty provides original and curated resources of interest to businesses and organizations, as well as individuals.  These include a monthly newsletter, The 360, blogs and online resources.  Events and workshops are held as programming and demand dictate." Helen's book, ReSet: Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life, reframes longevity as a triumph—not a burden—and offers a bold roadmap for thriving in a century-long life. It challenges the outdated notion that age is merely a number and introduces a richer understanding of what it means to grow older this century. It exposes the hidden architecture of ageism—in our policies, workplaces, media and even our own thinking—and dismantles the myths of inevitable decline. Most importantly, it moves from insight to action. Through self-awareness, values alignment, purpose discovery, and an entrepreneurial mindset, readers learn how to redefine their personal brand, cultivate optimism and spot new opportunities for growth and contribution. This is a roadmap to living longer and better, shifting mindsets from viewing aging as decline to viewing it as a time for new growth. Helen is helping us learn how to enjoy our "longevity bonus," since we generally are living two to three decades longer than our predecessors. Every day is a gift! Use it well! Learn more: https://www.topsixtyoversixty.com/    TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwhOQRduE7c Age sense/ newsletter on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/age-sense-7377782746225582080/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-hirsh-spence-a029a010/

Johanna Danaher is a mindset, life and leadership coach who helps high-achieving pre-retirees and mid-life professionals navigate one of the most overlooked transitions of all: who you become after you leave a long-held career. After more than 25 years in high-level corporate leadership, guiding global talent, culture and leadership strategy at Pfizer, Johanna understands how deeply identity can become intertwined with a title—and how destabilizing it can feel when that chapter comes to an end. Through her coaching practice, Anchor to Aspire™, she now supports pre-retirees and midlife professionals as they navigate the emotional and psychological side of transition, helping them move forward with clarity, energy and intention. Johanna’s work blends evidence-based tools with deeply human insight, drawing from Energy Leadership™, the Energy Leadership Index (ELI), Positive Intelligence®, Whole Brain Thinking and the science of happiness. She helps clients recognize how they show up on their best days versus under stress—and how small mindset and energy shifts can radically change their experience of retirement, reinvention and life transitions. What sets Johanna apart is her ability to honor paradox: ambition and ease, resilience and softness, structure and surrender. Her clients—executives, public-sector leaders and long-tenured professionals—aren’t looking to stop growing; they want their next chapter to feel meaningful rather than performative, intentional rather than fear-driven. A former marine biologist turned HR leader and now entrepreneur, Johanna’s nonlinear path shapes a coaching approach rooted in possibility. Whether she’s guiding a team through reinvention or helping someone redefine what success means in midlife, her work is both strategic and soulful—anchoring people to who they are so they can rise into what’s next. Some topics we cover in this episode: --How to prepare emotionally for retirement --How to maintain identity after retirement by determining what you value --Why do so many people rush to stay busy after retirement and the cost of doing so --How pre-retirees can learn to shift and reframe fear and uncertainty about their identity or their future—and use it as fuel for an intentional and empowered "rewirement" --How pausing can be a superpower Learn more: Website: https://anchortoaspire.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannadanaher/  IG: https://www.instagram.com/anchortoaspire/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anchortoaspire/ Blog: https://anchortoaspire.com/blog-posts

Gail Rubin, CT, The Doyenne of Death®, is a pioneering death educator based in New Mexico. A doyenne is a woman considered senior in a group who knows a lot about a particular subject. Gail is a Certified Thanatologist (a death and grief educator) and speaker who uses humor and films to get end-of-life conversations started.  She’s the author of the award-winning books A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die, Kicking the Bucket List: 100 Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die, Hail and Farewell: Cremation Ceremonies, Templates and Tips, and The Before I Die Festival in a Box. Her next book, 98.6 Mortality Movies to See Before You Die, was published April 2026.  She is also the coordinator of the award-winning Before I Die New Mexico Festival, a pioneer of the Death Cafe movement in the United States, and host of the Mortality Movies TV series and Mortality Movie Night events.  She’s a two-time TEDx speaker. Her first talk in 2015, “A Good Goodbye,” focused on the importance of starting end-of-life conversations before there’s a death in the family. The second talk in 2025, “We offer our pets a good death, why not our people?” is about medical aid in dying.   The Association for Death Education and Counseling recognized her work with their 2024 Community Educator Award. Her motto is, “Talking about sex won’t make you pregnant. Talking about funerals won’t make you dead.” Learn more: https://agoodgoodbye.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gailrubinctagoodgoodbye/ Facebook (personal page): https://www.facebook.com/gail.rubin.3/  Facebook (A Good Goodbye page): https://www.facebook.com/AGoodGoodbye/ Instagram: gail.rubin.doyenne.of.death X: @TheFamilyPlot

Ilene Berns-Zare, PsyD, PCC, is a life and leadership coach, psychologist, educator, and author who helps people navigate their lives with resilience, meaning, mindfulness, and well-being. Ilene is the author of the new book: You’re Not Too Old, & It’s Not Too Late: Weekly Practices of Meaning, Mindfulness & New Possibilities at Midlife and Beyond (MSI Press, released January 2026). Designed as an accessible 52-week companion, this inspiring book invites Baby Boomers and Gen Xers to reimagine aging with confidence, vitality, and purpose. Drawing on research-informed tools and practical reflections, it encourages readers to tap into inner strengths, embrace meaningful shifts, and discover everyday “ah-ha” moments that spark renewal. Ilene writes the blog Flourish and Thrive for PyschologyToday.com and is adjunct faculty in Georgetown University’s Transformational Leadership Program. Her passion is inspiring people to flourish in life and work by bringing mind, body, and spirit into flow with their strengths, purpose, and potential. She has a PsyD in psychology, master’s degree in human resources development, and PCC certification from the International Coaching Federation. Her research interests span positive psychology concepts, resilience, mindfulness, spirituality, and personal/professional development, including the joys and adventures of adulthood and growing older. Ilene also is a facilitator for the Wise Aging program, a national initiative based in the Jewish tradition. On this episode, we discuss: ▪ Strengthening Resilience and Wellbeing in These Challenging Times ▪ Invigorating Your Second Half of Life with Greater Resilience, Flourishing & Possibilities ▪ Choosing to Live Your Daily Life with Greater Joy, Meaning, & Wellbeing ▪ Hitting Your Stride at Midlife & Beyond: Strategies to Jump-Start Flourishing & Wellbeing ▪ Navigating Midlife & Beyond with Meaning, Mindfulness and New Beginnings ▪ Re-energizing & Flourishing During Life’s Transitions and Changes ▪ Yes, I Can: Recharging Your Life-Work Balance ▪ Invigorating Happiness: Tips for Flourishing with Insights from Positive Psychology ▪ Day-to-Day Mindful Living to Inspire Flourishing After Retirement Learn more: https://ileneberns-zare.com/ https://go.authorsguild.org/members/5549 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/experts/ilene-berns-zare-psyd https://ibzcoaching.com/blog/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilene-berns-zare-psyd-pcc-cec-9062a39b/

Emily Lampkin is a highly sought-after speaker, author and advisor, known for empowering women leaders in corporate, non-profit, education, and political sectors to hone their skills and maximize opportunities. With a pragmatic style and actionable advice, she has trained thousands of women globally through her dynamic, one-of-a-kind “Women Leaders Series” workshop. The Women Leaders Series is the culmination of more than 25 years of experience advising women leaders on ways they can perfect their skills to maximize opportunities. Emily has trained thousands of women across the country and the world.  Recognized as one of Washington, DC's most respected connectors, Emily has worked in American politics for thirty years.  Her passion is electing more women to office. Emily excels at threading policy and cultural priorities into communications that resonate. A frequent media contributor on major TV networks, radio, podcasts and social platforms, Emily is committed to building a multi-decade pipeline of diverse female leaders. She speaks at universities and schools, including Georgetown University and the London School of Economics, inspiring the next generation of women. Emily’s book, Duct Tape and White Lies: A Woman’s Practical Guide to Success (March 3, 2026), speaks directly to women who have built successful careers, spent decades caring for others, and are now ready to redefine what fulfillment and leadership look like in this next chapter. It is based on her Women Leaders Series workshop. Emily serves as a member of the U.S. Department of State Speakers Program, collaborating with U.S. embassies and working with a number of international women’s organizations to train women globally to assume leadership roles. A proud St. Louis native and University of Missouri graduate, Emily lives in Virginia with her husband and three children. In this episode, we discuss: Why so many successful women feel stuck — and why it’s normalHow caregiving and ambition can coexist Redefining success later in life without starting over How women can give themselves permission to pursue what’s next Learn more and follow Emily: https://www.emilylampkin.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilylampkin/ https://www.facebook.com/emily.k.lampkin