Beyond 60: Unscripted

The holidays are a time of joy, connection, and celebration, but hosting family and friends can sometimes feel overwhelming. In this episode of Beyond 60: Unscripted, host Ruth Williams-Brinkley welcomes Fredericka McCray, a school administrator and experienced event planner, for a lively conversation about making holiday gatherings more meaningful and less stressful, especially after 60. From simplifying decorations and preserving cherished family recipes to sharing hosting responsibilities and bringing generations together, Fredericka offers practical tips for creating memorable celebrations without exhausting yourself in the process. Together, they explore how to embrace new traditions, ask for help, and make space for what matters most: spending quality time with the people you love. Whether you're hosting a houseful of guests or celebrating somewhere new, discover how to make this holiday season one you can truly enjoy.

Meet the Guest

Fredericka McCray is an accomplished educator, leader, and creative event planner with a passion for bringing people together and creating meaningful experiences. Fredericka has a love for event planning and design. Her experience includes coordinating professional events, community celebrations, organizational functions, and personal milestones. Known for her creativity, thoughtful details, and ability to bring a vision to life, she enjoys creating memorable experiences that leave a lasting impression.

At her core, Fredericka values faith, family, friendship, and balance. She enjoys traveling, attending concerts, reading, and embracing new adventures, while also appreciating moments of peace and relaxation. Guided by grace, growth, and a genuine love for people, Cheryl continues to embrace life’s unfolding journey with purpose, joy, and an appreciation for the experiences that make life meaningful.

What if the experiences that once made you question your worth could become the inspiration for your next chapter?

In this deeply personal episode of Beyond 60: Unscripted, host Ruth Williams-Brinkley welcomes author and educator Michele Roseman for an inspiring conversation about Black hair, identity, healing, and finding your creative voice later in life. Michele opens up about experiencing colorism and bullying as a young girl, the lasting impact of childhood trauma, and the journey toward embracing her authentic self. She shares how writing helped her revisit painful memories, how an unexpected encounter with Dr. Maya Angelou stayed with her for decades, and why she believes our personal stories have the power to encourage others. From her book Hairlooms to launching a children's book series at 60, Michele's journey is a powerful reminder that creativity has no expiration date. Together, Ruth and Michele explore the importance of self-acceptance, the healing that comes with age, and how sharing our experiences can create a meaningful legacy for future generations.

About the guest

Michele Roseman is an author, illustrator, and voice artist, and the creator of Shelly and the Curlovely Chronicles™, a children’s book series that helps young girls with afro- textured hair love the curls they were born with. Inspired by her own childhood experiences and dedicated to her late father, the series follows Shelly and her friends through the fantastical world of Kinkcurly Lane. Her newest book, Shelly and the Christmas Cornrows, is available now on Amazon.

Roseman is also the author of Hairlooms: The Untangled Truth About Loving Your Natural Hair and Beauty, which features contributions from Hollywood actresses Nicole Ari Parker and Kim Coles, Grammy-nominated rapper MC Lyte, and Lisa Price, founder of Carol’s Daughter. A songwriter as well, she writes original music that brings Shelly’s world to life, now streaming on Spotify.

She brings more than 30 years of communications experience to her storytelling and earned her M.A. in Journalism and Public Affairs from The American University. She lives in the Metropolitan Washington, DC area with Kyle, her husband of 19 years.

Shelly and the Christmas Cornrows Link to Purchase on Amazon

https://amzn.to/3UA3JcS

Shelly and The Curlovely Chronicles Original Music Spotify Streaming Link

https://bit.ly/3U5Ojgd

Instagram

@curlovelychronicles

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/share/18VKw8G3dG/

What does it mean to stay politically engaged as we get older, especially at a time when the news can feel overwhelming? In Political Activism After 60, Ruth sits down with Darrell Parrish Bakeman for a thoughtful conversation about using our experience, perspective, and voices to make a difference. Together, they explore the many ways people can remain engaged beyond the ballot box, from advocacy and volunteering to community involvement and conversations across generations. They also discuss finding a sustainable balance between staying informed and avoiding political burnout, and why decades of lived experience can be such a valuable resource for our communities. Whether you’ve been politically active your entire life or are wondering how to become more involved in this chapter, this episode is a reminder that retirement from work doesn’t mean retirement from citizenship.

Meet the Guest

Darrell Parrish Bakeman is a retired non-profit executive. Her decade of socio-economic, development and business ventures range from political and organizational fund-raising, public speaking, hosting radio and cable talk-shows serving as founder of Worship It’s A Simple Thing. She has served on the board of several major organizations and has a long history of active civic involvement. Darrell earned a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Oregon and a bachelor’s degree in music education from Huston Tillotson College, in Austin, Texas. She helped raise millions for the first African American mayor of Chicago, serve as focus group moderator and volunteer for national political campaigns; both presidential and congressional.

Pets can bring companionship, laughter, routine, and a whole lot of love into our lives. But what does pet ownership look like in this chapter of life? Ruth sits down with longtime friend Sharon Hager to talk about the joys and realities of welcoming a pet after 60. Sharon shares how her pint-sized pup Oliver became an unexpected companion in retirement, bringing new rhythms to her days, new connections to her community, and plenty of personality along the way. From choosing a pet that fits your lifestyle to navigating travel, costs, mobility, and planning for their future, Ruth and Sharon explore what it really means to make room for a four-legged friend in your next chapter.

About Sharon Hager

Sharon Hager is a retired healthcare attorney and former general counsel whose career began as a registered nurse working in critical care and emergency medicine. After decades in healthcare and law, Sharon retired in 2023 and quickly discovered that life after work would be anything but quiet. Just days after retiring, she welcomed Oliver, a Bichon Frise and Shih Tzu mix who has since become her constant companion. Today, Sharon embraces retirement with an active social life, travel, new interests, and, of course, Oliver by her side.

In the Season Two premiere of Beyond 60: Unscripted, Ruth Williams-Brinkley sits down with personal trainer Jason Ogden for a fun, practical, and encouraging conversation about what it really means to get stronger after 60. Together, Ruth and Jason explore how fitness goals change in this season of life, from building strength, balance, mobility, and endurance to making exercise feel less intimidating and more connected to everyday independence. Whether it is getting up from the floor, climbing stairs, carrying groceries, recovering your balance, or simply feeling more confident in your body, Jason reminds listeners that it is never too late to begin. This episode is for anyone who has ever thought they were too old, too weak, or too out of shape to start, and needed a friendly push to find some way to keep moving.

Meet the guest:
Jason Ogden is a Personal Trainer and Assistant Lead Trainer at Fitness Together in Tysons Virginia. Originally from Manassas, Virginia, Jason grew up playing sports and later made a career shift from retail management into fitness after the birth of his son in 2013. Today, he helps people over 60 build strength, improve their health, and feel more confident through customized fitness plans, accountability, and a practical approach to movement that fits real life.

Learn more:
https://fitnesstogether.com/tysons

In the Season One finale of Beyond 60: Unscripted, Ruth Williams-Brinkley sits down with travel expert Sandra DeShazier for an inspiring and practical conversation about making travel feel possible, meaningful, and joyful after 60. Together, Ruth and Sandra explore how travel changes in this season of life, from planning around comfort, health, budget, and safety to choosing trips that reflect who you are now. Whether it is a first solo adventure, a multigenerational family trip, a bucket-list destination, or a simple getaway close to home, Sandra reminds listeners that travel does not have to be extravagant to be transformative. It just has to be intentional. This episode is for anyone who has ever said, “One day I’d love to go there,” and wondered if that day might finally be now.

Meet the guest:
Sandra DeShazier is a Certified Independent Travel Advisor with InteleTravel who helps clients turn “someday” into real, meaningful journeys. Having visited hundreds of destinations, Sandra brings both firsthand travel experience and professional planning expertise to her work, helping people design trips that fit their lives, interests, comfort level, budget, and sense of adventure. 

Learn more about Sandra’s travel services here:
 https://sandradeshazier.inteletravel.com/

In this episode of Beyond 60: Unscripted, Ruth Williams-Brinkley sits down with her longtime friend Bob Gift for a warm and thoughtful conversation about retirement, identity, and the search for purpose after a long and demanding career. While Bob’s woodworking provides the frame for the discussion, the episode is really about something larger: what happens when the titles, routines, travel schedules, and professional responsibilities fall away, and you have to decide how to fill your days with meaning. Bob reflects on his career in health care consulting, the transition into retirement, the importance of staying curious, and the satisfaction of creating something tangible after years of work that often felt more abstract. Through his story, Ruth and Bob explore creativity, community, patience, adaptation, and the value of trying something new, reminding listeners that retirement is not an ending, but an opportunity to keep learning, growing, and building a life that feels fully your own. 

Meet the Guest

Bob Gift is a retired health care consultant, engineer, and lifelong learner whose career spanned more than four decades in and around hospitals, including 30 years traveling the country as a consultant focused on operations, process improvement, and organizational change. In retirement, Bob has found a new sense of purpose and creativity through woodworking, building furniture and meaningful handmade pieces for family, friends, and his community. His story reflects the value of curiosity, patience, and finding something tangible and fulfilling to make your own in life after the “big job.”

In this episode of Beyond 60: Unscripted, Ruth Williams-Brinkley sits down with author Janice Cosby Adams for a heartfelt conversation about beauty, aging, self-acceptance, and the freedom that comes with embracing who you are. Janice, whose striking gray hair first appeared when she was a child, shares how what once made her different became a source of confidence, identity, and inspiration. Her new book, Grayfully: Wisdom from My Hair, uses her hair as a powerful metaphor for authenticity, courage, and learning to see beauty beyond society’s narrow expectations. Together, Ruth and Janice explore personal style after 60, the pressure women feel to hide signs of aging, the importance of caring for yourself from the inside out, and the joy of showing up fully as yourself at every age. The episode is a reminder that beauty does not disappear with time. It deepens, becomes more honest, and can help us arrive more fully in our own lives. 

Buy Grayfully: Wisdom from My Hair: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gray-fully-janice-cosby-adams/1149891336

Meet the Guest

Janice “Jan” Cosby Adams is an accomplished marketing and communications executive, author, community leader, and mentor whose career includes senior leadership roles with Ascension, where she served as Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Ascension Michigan and later as Vice President of Foundation Marketing. Known for her expertise in branding, public relations, consumer engagement, and community relations, Jan helped lead major brand development efforts across Ascension while remaining deeply committed to civic service, youth mentorship, women’s leadership, and health advocacy. A Wayne State University graduate and accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America, she has been recognized for her professional achievements and community impact, including honors from the Oakland County NAACP and features in publications such as HOUR Detroit, B.L.A.C., Essence, and MORE Magazine.

What if your retirement dollars could stretch further and your days could slow down, without shrinking your life? In this episode, Ruth sits down with certified financial planner and expat Jennifer Harper, who now lives and works in Portugal, to unpack what living abroad really looks like beyond the glossy highlight reels: visas, housing requirements, healthcare, taxes, currency swings, travel costs, and the patience it takes when the process does not move on your timeline. Together, they talk through the human side too, what you miss, what you gain, how to build community, and the questions to ask before you leap, including how to plan for emergencies and protect your loved ones with the right documents. You will walk away with a clearer view of the tradeoffs, and a grounded sense of what it takes to design a life you enjoy, not just a budget you can afford.

About the Guest: Jennifer Harper

Jennifer Harper is a Certified Financial Planner and the founder, principal, and chief compliance officer of A Bridge Financial Planning. She began her career in financial services in 2000, earned her CFP designation in 2006, completed advanced training through the Kinder Institute of Life Planning, and has taught small business finance as an adjunct instructor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. With a deep commitment to financial education and advocacy for women, Jennifer brings both professional expertise and lived experience to this conversation, having relocated to Portugal and navigated the practical realities of working, building community, and planning across borders.

Grief is universal, but we do not hear enough men speak about it with honesty. In this tender and deeply human episode, Ruth sits down with Herman Bulls to explore loss through a perspective that is often kept private, men’s grief, and the expectations placed on men to stay composed, stay busy, and stay strong even when their world has changed. Herman shares the love story he built with his wife, Iris, and the devastation of losing her to stage four pancreatic cancer after a sudden medical crisis. He reflects on the realities of caregiving, the shock of rapid decline, and the moments of clarity that reshaped his understanding of what it means to keep living. The conversation also moves into healing, including survivor’s guilt, the value of counseling, and the importance of a real support system, with Herman offering candid, practical encouragement for other men walking this road. The episode closes with a reminder that grief is not a moment, it is a process, and that love and memory can become a source of strength as you move forward, one day at a time.

About the Guest: Herman Bulls

Herman Bulls is Vice Chairman, Americas at JLL and the founder of JLL’s Public Institutions Division, where for more than three decades he has helped federal, state, and local governments, higher education institutions, and nonprofits develop real estate strategies that reduce costs and increase productivity. Prior to JLL, Herman served nearly 12 years on active duty in the U.S. Army, including assignments at the Pentagon and as an Assistant Professor of Economics and Finance at West Point, and later retired as a Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves. He is also a distinguished board leader, serving as Chairman of Fluence Energy and Vice Chairman of USAA, along with board service across major public, private, and nonprofit organizations. Herman earned his undergraduate degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point and his MBA from Harvard Business School.