Glowing Older

Six years. 250 episodes. And I've never told you my own story, until now.I've spent this podcast asking everyone else the questions. In this episode, I turn the mic on myself: the cancer diagnosis doctors almost missed, the year everything fell apart, and the four things that got me through it. The same four things I now teach as the SOLO framework in my upcoming book, The Art of Solo Aging.If you've ever wondered what "aging well" actually looks like when it's your own life falling apart, this is that story.In this episode:0:10 The story I've never told4:00 What 250 experts taught me about aging well7:23 My own story: divorce, injury, and a year that fell apart9:09 The diagnosis doctors almost missed12:28 The SOLO framework, and my book15:19 Planning, ageism, and finding your whyAbout Glowing Older:Glowing Older is the podcast on aging well, hosted by Nancy Griffin, a 30-year wellness, hospitality, and longevity expert and Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures Industry Scholar. After 250+ episodes and 25 seasons interviewing the experts and disruptors reshaping how we age, Nancy is on a mission to help you match your healthspan to your lifespan and reject the myth of inevitable decline.Her framework, SOLO (Social Connection, Optimistic Attitude, Lifelong Learning, Open to Grace) is the foundation of her upcoming book, The Art of Solo Aging, and the throughline of everything on this channel.Solo aging shouldn't be solo. Subscribe for new episodes, and find Nancy here:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3W6EmHbBdVUZ2zkyki2xR0Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/glowing-older/id1526891134LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancygriffin/GlowingOlder.com#GlowingOlder #AgingWell #Longevity #SoloAging

Join us as Jacquelyn Stephens, PhD, the Senior ResearchAssociate at Mather, shares insights on how cultivating positive emotions through “savoring” can boost resilience,social health, and longevity. Discover practical strategies to enhance your well-being and thrive at every stage of life.

About

Dr. Jacquelyn Stephens is a developmental-health psychologist who conducts research on factors that promote happier and healthier aging. Her research focuses on predictors of well-being across the lifespan, with an emphasis on the protective role of positive emotion in times of stress and adversity. Her research at Mather Institute has focused on how savoring the moment, a form of positive emotion regulation, can contribute to better well-being in older adults. She also evaluates internal Mather programsand initiatives.

Prior to Mather, Dr. Stephens was a Postdoctoral ResearchFellow at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. She earned her PhD in Human Development and Social Policy from Northwestern University in 2022.

Key Takeaways

• Positive emotions help us bounce back from stress, overcome adversity, bond with others, and spark creativity.
• Positive emotions are contagious. Sharing a positiveexperience with another person amplifies the joy and creates a deeper bond,
• Savoring is noticing something positive happening and amplifying it. Instead of letting something positive pass by, we notice and acknowledge it. Bask in the moment.
• Savoring has three different time orientations – reminiscing: present moment, and forward thinking/anticipatory . Older adults are good at being attuned to positive things in their environment and tend to be better at savoring in the moment than other generations.
• When we create a repertoire of positive experiences, we are more likely to reach out to other people and form reciprocal relationships to lift each other up.
• People feel better when they focus on small moments of joy every day. The goal is not to surround yourself with constant positivity, but to develop the tools and resilience needed to create a life of happiness, well-being, and meaning despite life's inevitable difficulties.

Visit Mather Institute for reports on aging and well-being.

For exclusive access to the Mather research study onsavoring ,visit: Within- and Between-Person Effects of Savoring Ability and Well-Being in Older Adults: A Longitudinal Study

This week’s episode features aging expert Helen Hirsh Spence, co-author of Reset: Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life.  Helen shares insights on aging well, developing “longevity literacy,” and strategies to combat internalized ageism—empowering you to thrive in later life.

About Helen

Helen Hirsh Spence is a powerful voice at the intersectionof longevity, leadership, and age inclusion. Her TEDx talk—"Embrace Age with a Longevity Mindset"—captivated audiences worldwide and sparked international dialogue around how we perceive and value older adults.

Recognized as a prominent figure in the field of longevity,Helen has been invited to share her insights at conferences, on podcasts, national radio and TV. She seizes every opportunity to promote an empowering perspective on aging, inspiring change for all generations. Her presentations are known to be thought-provoking, engaging, and deeply relevant to today’s shifting social and economic landscape. 

Key Takeaways

• Advances in technology, medical advances, and education have given us a “longevity bonus” — our lifespans have increased 20 to 30 years.
• We can influence the trajectory of our lifespan, but itdepends on our beliefs. A longevity mindset means accepting our longer lives as the new normal.
• Targeting older adults requires workplace adaptations like flexible work, phased retirement, and intergenerational collaboration.
• The loneliness epidemic is spread across two primarydemographic groups, older adults and people under 25. Programs to build intergenerational connections and reciprocal mentorship have mutual benefits for young and old.
• Children from the age of three have negative preconceived notions of what it means to be old.  Women especially have been conditioned by anti-aging marketing campaigns, not recognizingthat their potential, dreams and aspirations have been limited by ageism.

Follow Helen on LinkedIn

View Helen’s TedX Talk

Order Helen’s book Reset (US and Canada)

Explore the transformative field of gerontology with Dr. Julie Brown, as we delve into misconceptions, language, and innovations shaping aging. Discover how age tech advances can enhance independence, challenge stereotypes, and promote a more inclusive view of growing older.

About Dr. Brown

Dr. Julie A. Brown is an Associate Professor of Gerontologyat Ohio University whose work focuses on how we understand and experience aging in everyday life. She teaches courses on topics such as the business of aging and later life relationships, with an emphasis on how aging shapes identity, decision making, environments, and daily routines. Her work brings together research, teaching, and community engagement to highlight both the complexity and the relevance of growing older in today’s world. 

Dr. Brown’s work also explores the intersection of aging, technology, and the home environment. Often referred to as an “AgeTech Gerontologist,” she is widely recognized for her work examining how technology shapes the aging experience, for better or worse. As a Certified Aging in PlaceSpecialist, she is especially interested in helping people navigate decisions about staying in, and thriving within, their homes. Her work is grounded in both scholarship and real world application, with a focus on creating more supportive and age inclusive systems for individuals, families, and communities. 

Key Takeaways

• Gerontology is the scientific study of aging and olderadulthood. It examines the aging process from a lifespan perspective, encompassing the physical, psychological, social, and emotional aspects ofgrowing older.
• Age-tech (also known as gerontechnology) is the development, design, and use of technology to enhance the aging experience. Technologies shouldfocus on expanding capabilities rather than simply compensating for deficits. Too often, aging is viewed solely through a medical lens instead of a lifestylelens—prioritizing limitations over opportunities for independence, connection,wellness, and quality of life.
• Because everybody has different experiences and lifecircumstances, there is no one-way to view aging, Older adults are the most heterogeneous population – an 85-year-old can run circles around a 60-year-old,for example.
• More older people are seeking help for mental health. We have come a long way towards understanding the importance of mental health across the entire lifespan.
• We need to think about the importance of language to how we convey ideas and values. Using “anti-aging” is like saying that you are not valued – not good enough.
• Aging in place is less about a specific location and more about a sense of comfort, confidence, and control. It means being able to remain in the environment where a person feels most secure, supported, and connected.
• In the US, there's a dearth of housing, and particularly a dearth of housing that is age friendly.  Plan early. The worst time to plan is during crisis.

Discover how aging can be a new chapter of empowerment and entrepreneurial success. Join host Nancy Griffin and guest Jeanette Anderson, founder of Maturepreneur World, as they explore the opportunities, challenges, and mindset shifts needed for older adults to thrive as entrepreneurs.

About Jannette

Jannette is the bold, brilliant force behind  Maturepreneur  World, where 55 plus isn’t a finish line—it’s a launchpad. Her mission? To make “retirement” the new dirty word, and elevate the undervalued wisdom workforce who are #NotDoneByALongshot into the global economic powerhouse we truly are!  

She's the business expansionist, the Why Whisperer, and a master at getting the four inches between your ears working so your business can work! Her transformational Clarity Compass--Create Purpose and Profit After 55 workshop, "What's Next?" expert coaching and Next Chapter Launchpad program are designed to make you visible, financially viable, and valued.

She shows Maturepreneurs how to rewrite what success looks like after 55 so you can step off the sidelines and take the helm of your own purpose-fueled, profitable ventures.

Why? Because she knows that age doesn’t make you obsolete—it makes you unstoppable!

Key Takeaways

• We’ve been sold a myth: that life follows a fixed script—go to school, get a job, climb the corporate ladder, get married, have 2.5 kids and a white picket fence, work until 65, retire, and then quietly fade into thebackground until life ends.
• There’s a growing poverty crisis among older adults—about 65% of North Americans can’t afford to retire. It’s no surprise, then, that Boomers and Gen Xers are becoming the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs.
• One in four people report feeling lonely—and say it’simpacting their mental health. The rates are even higher among older adults andsolopreneurs.
• Finding our “why” is essential for effective marketing and standing out in a crowded marketplace—because people don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.
• Adopting a growth mindset over a fixed one is a choice. Pay attention to your beliefs, question whether they truly serve you, and choose to tell a more empowering story.
• Build your business around your life—not your life around your business. Who do you want to be? What difference do you want to make in the world? What kind of lifestyle do you want to create? What truly lights you up?

Discover how Dr. Denise Taylor combines her background inpsychology, deep connection with nature, and innovative research to redefine aging well. This inspiring conversation explores meaning, community, and slowing down to truly live later life.

About Dr. Denise

Dr. Denise Taylor is redefining what it means to grow older.A Chartered Psychologist and expert in later-life transitions, she helps people navigate this stage with purpose, freedom, and renewed possibility. Her doctorate explored how we find meaning beyond full-time work. She is the author of nine books, including Rethinking Retirement for Positive Ageing. She also leads nature-based retreats in her private woodland, integrating reflection and deep connection to the natural world. Her next book, ThriveSpan, charts a more conscious path through later life, where wellbeing, purpose, and reflection meet.

In 2024, Dr. Denise received the UK Career Development Award for Research by a Career Development Professional for her doctoral study, exploring the psychological factors that support a fulfilling and grounded later life.

Key Takeaways

• When psychologists talk about meaning, they’re often pointing to a life that feels purposeful, coherent, and significant. Two powerful drivers of that sense of meaning are creativity and proactivity.
• The ThriveSpan philosophy is a reflective frameworkfor navigating later life with purpose, wellbeing, and conscious intention. It promotes "walking gently into what matters now.”
• ThriveSpan is organized in three paths: self and wellbeing, connection and contribution, and exploration and fulfillment.
• Building an inner foundation for later life includes accepting that we're getting older and keep moving forward. Understand what you can’t change and stay in the moment.
• Being alone isn’t the same as being lonely. We eachneed different levels of social connection. Some people simply prefer connection in smaller doses.

 Follow Dr. Denise on Substack.

In this episode of the Glowing Older podcast, Nancy Griffin hosts Dorian Mintzer, a pioneer in positive aging, to explore how mindset, planning, and community influence aging well. Discover insights on overcoming ageism, creating meaningful connections, and planning a fulfilling post-retirement life.

About Dorian

Dr. Dorian (aka Dori) Mintzer, M.S.W., Ph.D., BCC, is a psychotherapist, retirement transition/relationship and executive coach, author and speaker, as well as a wife and mother. She weaves adult development, holistic life planning and positive psychology into programs that tap and shape clients’ energies into roadmaps for wiser, more enhanced living. She has a deep belief in the capacity of people to navigate their changing roles as they access awareness of their inner life and spirituality. She hosts the popular monthly Revolutionize Your Retirement Interview with Expert’s Series on the 4th Tuesday of each month. It is free and open to professionals and the public and offers a free Revolutionize your Retirement podcast series.

She is co-author of the award-winning book, The Couples Retirement Puzzle: The 10 Must-Have Conversations for Creating an Amazing New Life Together and has contributed to several other books. She has been featured in a variety ofnational media and has given a TedX Talk focused on “Embracing your Bonus Years: A Time to Learn, Grow and Evolve.”

Learn more about Dori at her web site: www.revolutionizeretirement.com. Contact her at [email protected].

Key Takeaways:

• In addition to life planning for finances and health, include purpose, meaningful connections, and end-of-life conversations.
• Intergenerational connections combat ageism and foster mutual growth for young and old.
• Retirement isn't retiring from life – it is rewiring and revolutionizing. People may need to work longer to not outlive their money but they want to work on their own terms.  
• Positive psychology says the definition of well-being isconnection, engagement, purpose and meaning.
• People don't like to talk about death and mortality, butit's a part of life. It is important to have end of life conversations while you're healthy and not in crisis. Understand how people define quality of lifeand what they want.
• When having hard conversations, set a set a safe place to talk avoid any distractions. Use “I” statements and avoid “you” statements, as “you” statements can be blaming and shaming. Listen without interrupting.

In this insightful interview, Dave McCaughan, co-chair ofthe Global Wellness Institute Aging Well Initiative, shares his extensive experience in aging, demographics, and branding. Discover how changing perceptions of aging influence wellness, marketing, and societal infrastructure, and learnpractical insights for embracing longer, healthier lives.

About Dave

Dave is an Aussie who has spent the last 30 years living in various parts of Asia. he worked for McCann, the global leading advertising agency for 27 years, mostly leading their market research and strategy planning across Asia Pacific being based in Sydney, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Hong Kong again. in 2015 he finished with corporate world andestablished BIBLIOSEXUAL as consultancy that helps brands understand the story they should tell, who to tell it too and how to tell it. He is known as a storyteller and helps companies with workshops and training in better business storytelling.

His interest in ageing populations began in 1988 in Australia and has continued with research, brand projects and public workshops on what he calls New Life Builders, the people going through the 55-75 lifestage. in 2025 Dave was asked to join and co-chair the Global Wellness Institute's "Aging Well" initiative. Dave has spoken at over 750 conferences and public events on his learning about "what matters to people" and its relevance to demographics, life stages and brands.

Key Takeaways

• A massive portion of the population is getting older andliving longer. Attitudes to age and the way we sell products to older people need to dramatically change
• India has the biggest population in the world (1.5 billion people) and 11% of the Indian population is over 60.
• Japan is the longest living country in the world. The United States is not in the top 15 countries in terms of life expectancy in the world.
• The What Is Happening with Aging Well? report fromthe Global Wellness Institute’s Aging Well Initiative features views from 20 leading experts across nine countries. Leading demographers, economists and market researchers from the US, Canada, UK, India, Indonesia, Australia, Japan, Thailand and Singapore share their unique perspectives on aging well.
• Many of the experts featured in the report focused oninfrastructure to support people as they start to age, including community and government policy. Few experts focused on aging well in traditional wellnessterms none of them talked about wellness in the sense of food, diet, massage.
• There is no market research proving that focusing on selling to an 18-to-25-year-old results in them using your product by the time they're 50.Readthe Global Wellness Institute Aging Well Initiative report WHAT IS HAPPENINGWITH AGING WELL?

Discover practical insights and inspiring stories from Ken Stern, author of Healthy to 100, on how social ties, lifelong learning, intergenerational engagement, and innovative policies can promote longevity and well-being. This episode explores groundbreaking research and global best practices to help you age actively, purposefully, and connected.

About Ken

Ken Stern is a nationally recognized expert on longevity andaging. He is the founder of the Longevity Project and hosts the popular “Century Lives” podcast from the Stanford Center on Longevity. Stern is a best-selling author and has been a frequent contributor to a wide variety of publications including Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, and Slate. He is also the former CEO of NPR. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Key Takeaways

• A person is Seattle or Chicago is now likely to live afull decade less in good health than someone in Tokyo or Singapore.
• Humans are evolutionarily bred to want to be part of a group and see loneliness as a risk. Loneliness has a direct biological impact on your health, roughly equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
• Japan, Singapore, Korea, Italy, and Spain have made social health infrastructure a part of public health policy, especially for older adults. Each has a different approach that is reflective of their own culture and values.
• You are actively engaged with people when you are social. If you are socially disconnected, you're likely stuck at home, not moving, and not getting social cues from others about how to take care of yourself.
• In Korea lifelong learning is a constitutional right. Learning in community is important. Lots of people in the U.S consider themselves lifelong learners, but they often learn online or in a solitary way.
• An organization called the Silver Genzai Human Resources, represents a million Japanese older workers, age 65 to about 102, placing them in part-time work.
• Plunging birth rates and declining immigration in this USare constricting the traditional labor force. American corporations should be thinking ahead but are stuck in the idea that younger workers are smarter, cheaper, and more technologically savvy.
• Many cultures value intergenerational relationships because they benefit both young people and older adults. One of the strongestpredictors of success for at-risk youth is having a positive relationship with an older adult outside their immediate family. Creating opportunities for different generations to connect supports healthier outcomes for all.
• The idea of segregating generations is a weird Americanism that you don't see elsewhere. Countries like Singapore are getting rid of senior centers and replacing them with centers for all ages.

In this episode, Nancy Griffin welcomes author and SuperAgerSusan Salinger to discuss the hidden barriers women face regarding health and aging. Sue shares her journey of research, personal stories, and practical advice for women to prioritize their well-being, dismantle stigma, and embrace later life with purpose and connection.

About Susan

Susan Salenger is a non-fiction writer, an avid reader, and a passionate foodie with a particular love for dark chocolate. For more than 25 years, she and her husband owned Salenger Films, a company that produced and distributed corporate training films worldwide.

Her book, Sidelined: How Women Can Navigate a Broken Healthcare System, was published by She Writes Press on April 12, 2022. The book explores the barriers women face inobtaining the best possible medical care. Salenger examines the persistent gender bias within the healthcare system and the ways in which women are often treated differently from men. Even in recent years, inequities remain.

Sue also addresses the internal barriers many women face.Women frequently put their own health behind the needs of their families, and some experience guilt when they become ill, which can influence critical medical decisions and lead to regret. Through extensive research and in-depth interviews, she uncovers the emotional conflicts many women experience when navigating complex healthcare choices.

Sidelined includes a comprehensive resource directory offering services and support to help women determine the best path forward for their healthcare needs.

Key Takeaways:

• Self-blame and shame impact women’s health decisions. Women often withhold illness due to stigma and cultural expectations. They are ashamed to go to the doctor and embarrassed to ask questions.
• For many diseases, women have different symptomsfrom men. Autoimmune diseases and Illnesses like heart attacks and chronic pain often have had trouble getting diagnosed. The doctor says “It's all in your head” because there is no data to support women’s symptoms, which reinforces women’s proclivity to blame themselves. This creates a vicious circle.
• Many times, Illnesses are random, but we tend to give disease a meaning. There are alcoholics that don't have a liver problem and people with lung cancer that have never smoked.
• De-stigmatization is the first step on the road to transparency and health. Self-advocacy and soliciting second opinions in critical to navigate a broken healthcare system. Do your research. Understand your diagnosis. Get a second opinion.
• Social connections, purpose, and community are paramount for mental and physical health. Find something that gives you self-satisfaction and makes you feel good about yourself. Prioritize meaningful connection.