Growing Bolder

Of all the different personality traits you could have, creativity may be the most important as we age. Creative people not only live longer, they live better. Joshua Vickery, the CEO of Encore Creativity, uses his voice to raise the voices of others, who may never have thought themselves creative.

Marlon Hoffman is a musician, actor, and counselor who has always followed his heart, from his experience as a suicide rescue counselor, a psychologist who worked with terminally ill children, to actor and acting coach. Now, at the age of 68, he is living yet another dream as a singer/songwriter on the Los Angeles music scene, sharing the wisdom and inspiration he’s gathered from a lifetime of making a difference.

James Smith, Jr is a professional and personal development coach. His passion is in motivating and inspiring others to reach for more in life, something that he explains can only happen when we find a way to allow faith in our mission to supersede our fear of failure.

James Hicks, Ph.D., is a professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California in Irvine. He’s developed a new class called Exercise as Medicine that examines how and why physical activity can actually work better for us than pills. He shares his tips for incorporating movement into your life.

Then, discover how Rabbi Ed Rosenthal turned his love for the ocean into a religious experience with his organization called Scubi Jew.

And meet a woman who saw a need in her community and decided to step up and try to make a difference.

Ken Dychtwald is a psychologist, gerontologist, sociologist, entrepreneur, filmmaker, founder of Age Wave, and the world's No. 1 thought leader and influencer when it comes to the cultural business implications of aging. He joins Growing Bolder's Marc Middleton in a conversation on the state of aging today, how life is different than ever before and he offers his predictions on how things will be in 10, 20, and 30 years. You'll learn what you need to know to be prepared.

Sanford restauranteur Shantell Williams decided there was only one way to honor an African-American motorcycle pioneer — she hopped on her own Harley and rode across 48 states in honor of this unsung hero from the past. Williams shares stories from her lifelong mission to break down stereotypes while building friendships along the way.

Did you know milk jugs can be recycled but milk cartons often are not? Author and sustainability expert Jennie Romer joins us to explain what can and cannot go in the bin, whether recycling is working at all, and what we can do to change the system to better protect our planet.

Dr. Nick Dewan is a nationally known expert in behavioral health. He discusses the sometimes painful process of coping with change, including how to make the transition from pandemic isolation to reintegration. Find out how our mental health can affect us physically.

Sometimes it feels like we’d all be safer if we could live inside a bubble. We’ll introduce you to a Miami-based photographer who did exactly that at the start of the pandemic, resulting in a series of viral photos. George Kamper explains how each of us can find inspiration, even during the most challenging times.

Do we really become forgetful as we get older? Is cognitive decline inevitable? Neuroscientist Michael Merzenich, Ph.D., is considered the Godfather of Neuroplasticity. His groundbreaking research has changed the way scientists and researchers understand and think about the brain. He joins Growing Bolder for an in-depth and fascinating conversation to share what he’s learned about proving old dogs can learn new tricks.

Plus, have you ever had an idea for a new product? What if that idea was so good you had to give it a shot and try and make it yourself? That’s exactly what entrepreneur Angel Cornelius did when she dreamed up hair products made specifically for people with silver hair. And now her company has grown from her kitchen table to QVC. She tell us how she navigated the bumps and bruises along the path to becoming an industry disrupter.

Bradley Schurman is one of the world’s preeminent demographic futurists and author of The Super Age: Decoding Our Demographic Destiny. He explains how our lives are about to be radically impacted as, for the first time in human history, there will soon be more people over the age of 65 than under the age of 18.

Dr. Claire Johnson is a medical doctor, healthcare consultant, marathoner, photographer, and licensed drone pilot. She uses her varied experiences as an example of how all our lives can completely transform if we can simply find the courage to say yes to opportunity.

Samantha Brown has one of those dream jobs we all envy. As the host of several travel shows, including her latest, Samantha Brown’s Places to Love on public TV, she has visited more than 60 countries, 250 cities, and 40 U.S. states. She explains how much we can all learn by traveling and meeting people from all walks of life and offers her three best tips for people of all ages and all income levels to see the world, at a fraction of the cost.

Plus, can deceiving ourselves sometimes be a good thing? Shankar Vedantam is the host of the popular podcast and radio show, Hidden Brain, and a New York Times best-selling author. In his latest book, Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain, Vedantam makes the case that sometimes honesty may not be the best policy. It’s a fascinating conversation that will inspire you to use self-delusions to your advantage in life.

Dr. Frank Lipman is a trailblazer and leader in functional and integrative medicine who believes our definition of health is all wrong. Instead of simply the absence of disease he defines health as a complete state of physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social wellbeing. In this interview he shares his new set of rules for aging well, which includes a discussion about the microbiome, monitoring your own blood chemistry, and the most beneficial foods to eat.

Annie Griffiths broke the gender barrier when she became one of the first female photographers at National Geographic, but she didn’t stop there. She helped bring women’s issues into focus across six different continents. She’s now dedicated to using her talents to bring exposure to a variety of aid organizations around the world. 

Science Journalist David McRaney wanted to find out what it takes to make someone change their mind. Does arguing or debating ever really work? McRaney discusses what he’s learned after years of research. In this era of great political and social divides he offers his thoughts as to what it will take to bring people together.

Rod Menzer explains why archery is one of the most beneficial activities you can engage in regardless of your skill or fitness level. Not only has Menzer studied the sport he is one of the greatest archers in American history. Now, as CEO of USA Archery, he talks about how easy it is to get started and why it just may be the passion you never knew you had.

Stephanie Walsh will convince you that it’s never too late to find your passion and get the most from it. At the age of 70, someone posted a video of her hip-hop dancing that took the internet by storm. She shares her empowering message about life with Growing Bolder's Amy Sweezey.

Timothy Shriver holds a doctorate in education and is a disability rights advocate, CEO of UNITE, and author of Call to Unite: Voices of Hope and Awakening. He delivers a timely message on the importance of unity and why it’s not an abstract ideal. 

85-year-old and two-time Stanley Cup champion, John MacMillan is still playing the game he loves. We catch up with this Rock Star of Aging.

Plus, Diane Delano started a rescue center for abused and neglected horses, only to discover that she was doing amazing things for people, too.