Our guest is Maddy Dychtwald, author of Ageless Aging: A woman’s guide to increasing healthspan, brainspan, and lifespan. In the interview, she discusses the concept of "ageless aging," which focuses on extending the number of healthy years in one's life rather than merely increasing lifespan. Dychtwald emphasizes the importance of social connections, a positive attitude towards aging, and practical steps to enhance health span and brain span. She critiques the extreme practices of biohackers and highlights more balanced approaches, such as moderate intermittent fasting and maintaining quality sleep, especially for women. Dychtwald also underscores the value of community and social interactions in promoting a sense of purpose and well-being as people age​

You can learn more about Colin Milner at https://www.icaa.cc/about_us/founder.htm

Today, we have a fascinating conversation about the powerful idea of interdependence. Here on the show to lend his expertise on the subject is Dr. Karl Pillemer, the Hazel E. Reed Professor in Cornell University’s Department of Human Development and the author of the recent book, Fault Lines, in which he examines the impact of familial estrangement. We get to hear from our guest about many aspects and angles of interdependence with a focus on why it is something that should never be neglected, especially as we grow older and enter into our retirement years. Karl speaks about life expectancy and how relationships factor into this, why the fear of being burdensome is so common, and how American norms around families and support compare to other parts of the world. We also get to spend some time on the potent concept of longer shared lifetimes and how this underlines the work that Karl is doing. This conversation is jam-packed with amazing insight, illuminating research, and Karl's personal expertise and passion for helping us have better and longer lives, so make sure to join us.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Defining interdependence and why meaningful connections are so important to all of us. 
• How the pandemic has impacted our conception of interdependence. 
• The need for greater focus on interdependence; rethinking how we analyze this.  
• Examining how the fear of being a burden comes into this conversation.  
• Karl explains the idea of longer shared lifetimes and why it is so powerful. 
• The dangers of how the media often portrays intergenerational conflict.  
• Comparing the familial norms in the US to standards in other countries. 
• How smaller families and more broken homes are influencing the way we support each other.  
• Assessing the usefulness of government action and policy changes. 
• Thinking about the role of the healthcare sector in supporting interdependence. 
• Digitization versus interdependence; are these two areas at odds with each other? 
• Ageism and social media and how micro-aggressions online are doing damage.  
• The creation of infrastructure that supports interdependence and where to start.  
• Karl's thoughts on senior living communities and how they can solve certain problems.  
• How to approach the facilitation of age-inclusive workplaces. 
• Why Karl believes so strongly in the health benefits of interdependence.
• Recapping the top ten takeaways from today's conversation with Karl!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Humana

Dr. Karl Pillemer

Dr. Karl Pillemer on Twitter

Fault Lines

Cornell University

The Chair

Harry Truman

Robert Frost

Civilization and its Discontents

Cosmopolitan

Colin Milner Email

Rethink Aging

You can learn more about Colin Milner at https://www.icaa.cc/about_us/founder.htm

Although the rate of increased life expectancy is decelerating, and most of us alive today are probably not going to live to 100, there is a lot of very exciting research being done in the field of aging. Today we are joined by Dr. Jay Olshansky who was recognized by Next Avenue (a PBS affiliate)  as one of the top influencers in aging. Jay came up with the breakthrough concept of a longevity dividend which has gained traction across the world, and who built a health assessment technology for life insurance companies. In this episode, Jay explains the benefits of these developments, and also shares a variety of other discoveries that are being made by him and others in the field which have the potential to change the way we age, and how we deal with aging. Although many people want to slow down the aging process, Jay describes aging populations as hidden gems, and explains why everyone in society would do well to take notice of their value and allow them to flourish. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Longevity dividend; the breakthrough concept that Jay and his teams came up with.
• How we need to change our mindset about aging populations.
• The cause of the major increase in life expectancy in the 20th century.
• Why the increase in life expectancy has been decelerating and will continue to do so in the future.
• Jay explains the difference between improving quality of life and reversing the aging process.
• What current research being done with senolytic compounds could mean for the future of aging.
• The only medication that Jay takes consistently.
• Always verify if any claims made to impact the aging process are backed up by scientific evidence.
• Three areas of research within aging that really excite Jay.
• Why it is so important that anti-aging research focuses on the brain.
• Two elements that seem, to an extent, to protect our brain from aging.
• Unrecognized value of aging populations.
• The health assessment technology that Jay and his team designed. 
• What our faces tell us about how we are aging. 
• An age progression tool that Jay wants to develop.
• What the health data economy is, and how Jay expects this to change our lives.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. S. Jay Olshansky on LinkedIn

You can learn more about Colin Milner at https://www.icaa.cc/about_us/founder.htm

Before the pandemic, the world was in a mental health crisis. After such a tumultuous year, it is unsurprising that many of us are experiencing anxiety around restoring a sense of normalcy to our day-to-day life. Dr. Kristin Tugman is the Vice President of Health and Productivity Analytics and Consulting Service for Prudential Group Insurance. In today’s episode, she shares some key insights on the struggles employees are experiencing, what the focus areas are for emerging mental health conditions, and how employers can establish best practices in the workplace to support and protect an aging workforce. Additionally, we speak about surge capacity depletion and reduced resilience following the pandemic, the role of ambiguous grief, and some practical ways that workplace relationships need to change. Dr. Tugman gives us her definition of a psychologically healthy workplace and shares her concerns around productivity and equipping older adults to contribute to a changing work landscape. We know you’ll benefit from Dr. Tugman’s wealth of knowledge. Join us today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Some of the ways in which the new re-entry request has created anxiety for employees.
• How the pandemic has exacerbated the global mental health crisis.
• Surge capacity depletion and reduced resilience post-pandemic.
• Ambiguous grief people are experiencing post-pandemic.
• Focus areas for emerging mental health conditions: awareness, stigma, and access to care.
• How employers need to adjust employee relationship management.
• Defining a psychologically healthy workplace.
• Managing the changing needs of aging employees.
• How Dr. Tugman’s study on aging employees has helped inform best practices.
• Changing attitudes towards older workers.
• How Dr. Tugman and Prudential work to help people create financial health.
• Concerns Dr. Tugman has around the workplace and working remotely.
• Productivity concerns on Dr. Tugman’s radar.
• Dr. Tugman’s thoughts around the training necessary to equip older adults in the workplace.
• Colin’s summary of our conversation.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Kristin Tugman on Twitter
Dr. Kristin Tugman on LinkedIn
Prudential
'Helping Employees Battle Re-entry Anxiety in a Post-Pandemic Workplace'

You can learn more about Colin Milner at https://www.icaa.cc/about_us/founder.htm

The accumulating advances that we see in technology and healthcare are giving rise to a wide array of improvements and possibilities in the space currently. Today on the show we are joined by Dr. Richard Carmona, who is the Chief of Innovation at Canyon Ranch, to talk about the near future of a better healthcare system for the country, and share some thoughts on what these steps forward can and should look like. Dr. Carmona has a very interesting personal story, from dropping out of school and joining the military to an illustrious career in healthcare, he has certainly walked his own path and surpassed the usual expectations! We have a fascinating conversation looking at the deterministic qualities of our DNA, the power of getting a greater understanding of our genes, epigenetic inputs, the impact environments have on our health, the value of some independence with regards to our wellbeing, and how the utilization of data is aiding progress in the space. Dr. Carmona also comments on the necessity of healthcare professionals staying truly up-to-date on the latest advances, the prevalence of health problems that we cause ourselves, rethinking the healthcare system as a more preventive framework, and using health and wellbeing as the foundation of a good life. So for all this great information and perspective, listen in with us today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Differentiating between our DNA and our destiny! 
• Changing behaviors and how these behaviors are able to modify our genes.
• The current state of the precision health movement and more personalized healthcare.
• More accurate prescriptions through the better aggregation of collected data.  
• The exponential leaps we are making in educating younger generations on AI and epigenetics. 
• The rise of digital health, wearables, and the power of instant feedback.  
• Keeping up with the newest technology and science; doctors’ responsibility to stay abreast. 
• Dr. Carmona's wishes for improvements to the current state of the 'sickcare system'.
• The question of inevitable health issues as we age; wear and tear, and optimizing for a longer life.
• Impacts of the environment in which we live; air, colors, relationships, and more! 
• The costs of keeping up good health and how this affects people in lower-income groups.
• The American dream and personal health; why Dr. Carmona equates health with the greatest wealth!
• Recapping the top 10 lessons from today's conversation! 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Richard Carmona

Canyon Ranch

Dr. Richard Carmona on LinkedIn

Dr. Richard Carmona on Twitter

The University of Arizona

Rethink Aging

You can learn more about Colin Milner at https://www.icaa.cc/about_us/founder.htm

Growing older has been cast in a bad light in our society and this has led to many negative effects that aren’t only felt by older people. This is one of the issues that Ken Dychtwald tackles in his memoir, Radical Curiosity: One Man's Search for Cosmic Magic and a Purposeful Life. In this book, Ken compiles some of the most impactful life lessons he has learned from his greatest teachers, and today he joins us to share just a few of them. We begin our discussion on the theme of Ken’s lifelong curiosity that has seen him in search of the irregular, the extraordinary, the wild and crazy, and the meaning of a purposeful life. Along the way, Ken didn’t just hear the teachings of influential thought leaders, but also found mentors in many older people who taught him one of his biggest lessons: give life your best shot because before you know it, it will be too late! Over the years Ken interviewed many wise people who wrote on the subject of getting older, names like Dr. Robert Butler, Maggie Kuhn, Erik Erikson, and Betty Friedan. We take a deep dive into the lessons he learned from these voices about how our culture has missed the mark of what aging is supposed to be, to its own detriment. We talk about how aging should be seen as an ascent, not a descent, and the huge contributions that older people could make to society if their wisdom was seen as an asset, and so much more. So for an important conversation about getting back to the magic of aging, be sure to tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• How Ken arrived at the title of his new book, Radical Curiosity.
• Lessons from global leaders and what Ken hopes to achieve by writing his book.
• Why Ken is so curious and the subjects he is most curious about.
• Lessons about living without regrets and giving it your all Ken learned from older people.
• Life lessons about self-improvement Ken has complied in his book.
• The truest version of Ken Dychtwald: a man who loves his family!
• Lessons about the problems of ageism Ken learned from Dr. Robert Butler.
• The lack of representation of older adults in advertising and marketing efforts.
• Lessons from Maggie Kuhn about how capitalism is giving old age a bad rap.
• The value that elders can provide to their societies and how ageism is getting worse.
• Examples of how the aging field itself is part of the problem.
• Today’s low standards for wellness, financial responsibility, or purposeful aging.
• Using our culture of innovation to reinvent what it means to age.
• Rethinking the arc of life to see aging as an ascent as well as a descent.
• Developing integrity in old age by integrating yourself and being valuable in society.
• How Ken’s wife, kids, and parents influence his life and career.
• The top ten lessons we learned from Ken today!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Rethink Aging

Ken Dychtwald

Radical Curiosity: One Man's Search for Cosmic Magic and a Purposeful Life

Dr. Robert Butler

Why Survive?

Maggie Kuhn

Erik Erikson

Betty Friedan

You can learn more about Colin Milner at https://www.icaa.cc/about_us/founder.htm

To many, getting older means a gradual ease into a more sedentary way of life, simply because you cannot do what you were once able to. But that couldn’t be further from the truth, because our idea of aging is completely wrong. Today we sit with Dr. Vonda Wright to find out why older adults can and should be involved in acts of movement. We begin our conversation with Vonda by hearing about her experiences as an intrapreneur, as she shares anecdotes about working with athletes. She touches on the senior Olympics, and reminds listeners that many of the athletes experience a chronic illness to smaller and larger degrees. She continues by telling us that mobility can replace many of the treatments required by those who suffer from diabetes, hypertension, dementia, depression, and arthritis. Later in the show, we dive into the details of Vonda’s “Facing Your Future” method and learn the F.A.C.E acronym; flexibility, aerobic, carrying, and equilibrium. Following this, we talk to Vonda about the current state of the US health system in the US, as she uncovers its fundamental flaws and gaps, as well as her solution for each. We then turn our attention toward the future and explore what exponential technology has to offer the health care model. For more on why mobility is the key to good health and longevity, be sure to join us today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing today’s special guest, Dr. Vonda Wright.
• We ask Vonda where she gets her incredible work ethic from.
• What it means to be an intrapreneur and what Vonda’s first intrapreneurial venture was.
• Hear about the oldest masters’ athlete that Vonda has worked with.
• Vonda shares her definition of a masters’ athlete.
• Some of the training systems Vonda uses to help her clients enhance their performance.
• What Vonda would change about the current health system in the US.
• Hear about the startling reality of “fresh food deserts.”
• How technology is playing a role in the healthcare model.
• We ask Vonda to tell us about the gaps that exist in the current healthcare model.
• Vonda tells us about her Women's Health Conversations initiative.
• How Azra Raza has been an inspiration to Vonda.
• Find out what’s next for Vonda Wright.
• Hear our top ten takeaways from our chat with Vonda Wright.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Colin Milner email

Rethink Aging

Dr. Vonda Wright

Dr. Vonda Wright on LinkedIn

Dr. Vonda Wright on Twitter

Northside Hospital Orthopedic Institute

Peter Taglianetti

Pittsburgh Penguins

Women's Health Conversations initiative

Richard Carmona

Azra Raza

You can learn more about Colin Milner at https://www.icaa.cc/about_us/founder.htm

As Carl Jung said, the operating system for the first half of our adult life is our ego, but for the second half, it is our soul. In light of this, there is a need for more resources to use as we age that can help us regenerate instead of simply retire. Chip Conley has created one such resource called the Modern Elder Academy and he joins us on the show today to share about the work they do there and the philosophy behind it. At age 26, Chip began building Joie de Vivre,  the second largest boutique hotel brand in America.  He also worked closely with the founders of Airbnb to grow the company into what it is today. On top of this, Chip is the bestselling author of books like Peak, and Wisdom at Work: The Making of the Modern Elder. The Modern Elder Academy is a school dedicated to helping people navigate midlife through intimate workshops that provide tools to change one’s career, life, and relationships. Joining this conversation, listeners will hear how Modern Elder Community creates regenerative communities, and take a deeper dive into some of the programs and courses they have on offer. Chip also gets into his ideas about the kind of philosophy he believes people would benefit from adopting as they age. He highlights the need for curiosity and a feeling of being useful, the growing talent older folk have for thinking big picture, and the wisdom that elders can bring to the young in a business environment. For all this and more from a man who is pushing for greater emotional wellbeing and a feeling of vocation as we age, be sure to tune in.

Key points from this episode:

• The work of shifting mindsets around aging done at Modern Elder Academy.
• New programs at Modern Elder Academy and how COVID has shaped these plans.
• Why Chip started the Modern Elder Academy to share wisdom relating to aging.
• The relationship Chip developed with Herb Kelleher and what he learned from him.
• Why Chip was attracted to entrepreneurship and disruption and how this steered his career.
• How Chip’s disruptive spirit is playing out with MEA by creating ‘regenerative communities’.
• Chips perspectives on the role of curiosity in creativity and innovation.
• The value of having a growth mindset for staying vital as one ages.
• Changes in brain functionality as one age that can be confirmed as positive.
• Moving from the operating system of the ego to that of the soul as we age.
• The need to have a sense of usefulness for staying healthy as we age.
• Final words of advice from Chip about values that can sustain us as we age.

Links mentioned in today’s episode:

Chip Conley

Chip Conley on Twitter

Chip Conley on LinkedIn

Wisdom Well

Wisdom at Work: The Making of the Modern Elder

Modern Elder Academy

‘The Emergence of Long Life Learning’

Herb Kelleher

Erik Erikson

Liz Lambert

Brian Chesky

Airbnb

You can learn more about Colin Milner at https://www.icaa.cc/about_us/founder.htm

Ageism is stereotyping and discrimination on the basis of a person’s age, although in a youth-obsessed culture, older adults bear the brunt of it. The term was first coined by Pulitzer prize-winning author, Dr. Robert Butler. Since his unfortunate passing, the fight against this damaging form of oppression has been taken up by Ashton Applewhite. When Ashton speaks on the subject of ageism, people listen — she is the author of This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism, and her TED talk, Let’s End Ageism, has over 1.6 million views. In today’s show, we discuss Ashton’s research, the myths about growing old that make older adults feel a sense of dread about it, and how to come together to challenge these narratives to build a society that values each individual equally. Ashton informs us that while getting older does come with a few downsides, many of the so-called facts about this process simply are not true. Rather these are forms of misinformation spread by the capitalist, patriarchal, sexist culture we live in that cast aging as a disease that can be cured rather than a beautiful, powerful, inevitable natural part of being human. We discuss some of the reasons why it is hard to rally as a unit to fight against ageism, as well as a host of positive circumstances about our present moment that make it much easier to bring up consciousness-raising conversations. Our exchange also explores the subject of ageism in relation to marketing, inclusivity, privilege, internalized inferiority, individualism, the fight against other forms of oppression, and so many more rich and complex intersections. Be sure to tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• How Ashton went from writing joke books to books on divorce and aging.
• Ashton’s discoveries about how cultural change happens made while writing Cutting Loose.
• How the research method employed while writing Cutting Loose led to a similar one that informed This Chair Rocks.
• The disconnect between beliefs and facts about marriage and aging that interested Ashton and fueled her books.
• How society frames marriage and aging in ways that negatively affect women and older adults.
• Different forms of ageism and the idea that each person who ages has a different experience.
• Where we are in the fight against ageism; how it’s getting easier to discuss prejudices.
• Themes of inclusion and exclusion in the fight against inequality.
• The idea that most marketing dollars get spent on people below 50 while those older than 50 hold 70% of disposable income.
• Marketing to older folk; how it perpetuates ageism and could change to everybody’s benefit.
• Challenges to building a unified movement against ageism, and reasons to be hopeful.
• Why marketers lack the ability to make culture more equitable.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Ashton Applewhite on Twitter

Ashton Applewhite on LinkedIn

This Chair Rocks Website

This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism

Let’s End Ageism TED Talk

oldschool.info

‘Ageist, Racist, Who Me?’

‘Let’s Dismantle Ageism’ Workshop

You can learn more about Colin Milner at https://www.icaa.cc/about_us/founder.htm