What happens when a daughter launches a publishing company… and her 82-year-old mother becomes her indispensable right hand?

In this heartfelt and surprisingly funny episode, Ron sits down with Stephanie Larkin, founder of Red Penguin Books, and her mother Christine Rogeri, an 82-year-old tech-savvy powerhouse who helps run the business — publishing books, managing websites, wrangling social media, and breaking stereotypes every step of the way. Stephanie shares the unusual origin story behind Red Penguin Books — from a nonprofit crisis to coloring penguins red with a Sharpie — and how her company helps aspiring authors bring their book dreams to life. Christine talks about joining the company later in life, mastering new technology, and proving that “80 is the new 60.” This episode explores:

• Reinventing yourself at any age
• The joys and challenges of running a family business
• The deeply personal process of helping authors become published
• The power of creativity, community, and purpose in later life

A warm, funny, inspiring conversation that reminds us: it’s never too late to start a new chapter.

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In this eye-opening conversation, Ron Roel sits down with Joe Battaglia, CEO of Senior Services of North America, to demystify one of the most confusing challenges facing Americans today; how to navigate Medicare, Social Security, and retirement planning together.

Joe reveals how a simple postcard led him to build a national organization devoted to helping seniors make smarter decisions about their healthcare and financial futures. From understanding open enrollment and avoiding costly Medicare mistakes to optimizing Social Security and protecting your savings from market volatility, Joe breaks it all down with clarity, compassion, and humor.

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Am I really ready for retirement?”, this episode will give you the roadmap to get there. Topics include:

• The origin of Senior Services of North America and Joe’s postcard story
• Why healthcare costs are the #1 cause of bankruptcy in America
• Understanding the “Three-Legged Stool” of retirement: Medicare, Social Security, and financial planning
• How to avoid being overcharged or left uncovered during open enrollment
• The importance of reviewing your Medicare plan every year
• How to optimize your Social Security payout (and why waiting can mean tens of thousands more)
• Protecting your retirement savings from downturns through diversification and fixed index annuities
• The power of planning early — even before you hit 50

Guest: Joe Battaglia, CEO, Senior Services of North America
Website: seniorservicesofnorthamerica.com
Call Joe directly: 888-230-2199 or 516-884-2238 🎧 Hosted by: Ron Roel


Visit 45Forward.org for all past episodes and resources.

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What if aging didn’t mean slowing down — but stepping into a richer, more connected phase of life?

In this episode, host Ron Roel sits down with Stu Almer, President & CEO of the Gurwin Healthcare System, to explore how Life Plan Communities like Fountaingate Gardens are redefining retirement living. Stu explains how Gurwin’s “continuum of care” model helps older adults live independently today while being fully supported for tomorrow — combining vibrant community life with peace of mind. Together, they discuss:

• The difference between independent living, assisted living, and continuing care.
• How Fountaingate’s “Type A” and “Type B” contracts work.
• Why social connection, purpose, and belonging are as vital as healthcare.
• How Gurwin maintains exceptionally low staff turnover and a culture of caring.
• The coming wave of innovative retirement communities — and what families should plan for now.

A must-watch for anyone exploring aging options for themselves or loved ones.

Learn more: 45Forward.org | Gurwin.org | FountaingateLI.org

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Fighting Age Bias and Finding Purpose in the Second Half of Life

In this inspiring conversation, career strategist Mike Dwyer, founder of Implana Career, joins host Ron Roel to talk about how older professionals can fight back against job loss, overcome age bias, and rediscover meaning in their work. Mike shares how a single favor—helping a friend with a résumé—grew into a mission to help hundreds of seasoned professionals reinvent themselves. From creating a personal board of advisors to mastering topical networking and embracing new technologies like AI, Mike outlines practical, realistic strategies for thriving in today’s job market—at any age. Whether you’re retired and restless, looking to pivot careers, or simply searching for renewed purpose, this episode will motivate you to take action and move 45 Forward.

Watch now and learn how to reimagine your work, rebuild your network, and reignite your sense of purpose.

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Aging at home is what most people want — but few families understand what it really takes.
In this powerful episode of 45 Forward, Ron talks with Zubin Kapadia, CEO of Right at Home North Shore on Long Island, about the realities of home care—from preparing the house and the family to choosing the right agency, understanding costs, caregiver expectations, and the critical role of dignity, safety, and long-term planning. Zubin also reveals his Caregivers’ Advancement Fund, a unique nonprofit initiative that supports and uplifts professional caregivers through education and emergency assistance — a model that could change the future of elder care. Whether you’re caring for a parent, planning for your own future, or navigating the healthcare maze after a crisis, this episode delivers real clarity, compassion, and direction.

Topics include:
• Types of home care & what Medicare really covers
• When families should start planning (hint: before crisis)
• Signs a loved one needs more support
• Key questions to ask before hiring an agency
• Family roles, dignity, and boundaries
• Training, culture, and shortages in caregiving
• How tech like telehealth & fall detection fits in
• The coming caregiving crisis — and solutions

Guest Info:
Right at Home North Shore, Long Island
📞 516-513-1070
🌐 RAHLongIsland.com

Watch all episodes and subscribe at 45Forward.org

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/45-forward--6550893/support.

Can love, companionship, and intimacy really begin again later in life?
This inspiring conversation proves the answer is YES. After losing their longtime spouses, two older adults found unexpected connection, courage, purpose, and joy in a new relationship. In this episode, we explore:

• Rebuilding life after loss
• Overcoming guilt and fear when starting over
• Rediscovering intimacy and connection in later years
• Communication, mutual respect, and shared growth
• Aging with confidence, independence, and joy
• Challenging ageist assumptions about love and companionship

Their story is a moving reminder that it’s never too late to love, laugh, adapt, and thrive — especially when honesty, openness, and self-awareness guide the journey.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/45-forward--6550893/support.

In this uplifting episode of 45 Forward, host Ron Roel welcomes back Dr. Stephen Post, director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care, and Bioethics at Stony Brook University, to discuss his new book Pure Unlimited Love. Stephen explores the seven paths to love—from giving with kindness, raising kind children, cherishing nature, to honoring the spirit of freedom. He shares practical ways we can apply these lessons daily to find inner peace, strengthen relationships, and live more meaningful lives—especially as we age. Together, Ron and Stephen dive into:

• Why love is ultimate reality beyond politics and division
• The difference between unconditional vs. unlimited love
• How humor, forgiveness, and compassion become daily expressions of love
• Why raising kind children matters for the future of our society
• How freedom, properly understood, is a gift of the spirit, not just independence

Whether you’re in midlife or beyond, this conversation will inspire you to embrace love as the guiding principle for the second half of life.

 Learn more: unlimitedloveinstitute.org

 Preorder Pure Unlimited Love now


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Aging isn’t a slow fade—it’s a remix. New York Times reporter John Leland joins Ron Roel to explore what longer lives make possible: a 90-year-old’s first bar mitzvah, blind tennis in downtown Manhattan, why “act your age” is terrible advice, and how gratitude and purpose can outshine loss. We also dig into lifelong learning, bending (not breaking) career timelines, and the stakes of losing local journalism. If you’re rethinking what the second half of life can look like, this conversation will give you frameworks, stories—and a nudge to try the thing you “can’t.”

Guest: John Leland — author of Happiness Is a Choice You Make: Lessons from a Year Among the Oldest Old


Host: Ron Roel — 45 Forward Contact & Links

• John Leland: [email protected]
• John’s NYT byline archive: search “New York Times John Leland byline”
• Ron: [email protected] — newsletter & show notes at 45Forward.org
• Ron’s book: The Caregiving Navigator (Amazon)



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Are we as polarized as we think? In this episode of 45 Forward, Ron sits down with Diane Hessen—innovator, long-time CEO, and author of Our Common Ground—who spent years listening weekly to 500 voters across every age, region, and political stripe. What she learned upends the usual narrative: on many major issues, Americans share more policy overlap than cable news suggests. The real problem? Stereotypes, incentives to amplify extremes, and the human tendency to vote against the other side rather than for something positive.

Diane explains the research approach that unlocked unusually candid conversations (including the simple listening prompt: “Tell me more.”), why media “heat” drowns out quiet consensus, how generations differ (and surprisingly don’t), and why so many people yearn for a “new American dream”—upward mobility, voice in community, and leaders who make heroes of those who give more than they take. It’s a practical, hopeful playbook for talking across difference—starting at your own dinner table.

Topics we cover:
• Where common ground actually exists (immigration, etc.)
• How stereotypes of “the other side” get it wrong
• Voting against vs. for in 2016–2024 cycles
• Active listening that builds trust (“Tell me more”)
• Loneliness, belonging, and why people feel unheard
• Generational patterns without the clichés
• A constructive path toward that “new American dream”.

 If you enjoyed this conversation, share it with someone who disagrees with you—and try “tell me more” together.

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A breathtaking true love story that survived ghettos, Bergen-Belsen, seven years of wartime separation, and a near-impossible reunion. Ron talks with Jan—author of To Enduring Love—about her parents, Alexander and Ilona, who met in 1930s Budapest, were torn apart by World War II, and built a hopeful new life in America. (Contains WWII/Holocaust references.)

What you’ll hear
• Budapest meet-cute: an orchestra musician and a coat-check girl who fell in love
• A cinematic separation at a train station—and a promise to reunite
• Cuba, the war, ghettos, and Bergen-Belsen; faith, grit, and survival
• The reunion, immigration to Queens, and the values that shaped a family: hope, education, service
• Jan’s own journey—FAA public service, teaching, and the life formula: Work × Effort = Results

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/45-forward--6550893/support.