In this episode of HER NEXT ACT ~ Right Here, Right Now, host Joan Paul speaks with Tracey Willis Gates, author and Life and Wellness Coach, about her journey of self-discovery and the transformative power of kind words. 

Tracey details how she transitioned into becoming a Life Coach in her fifties and how this led her to embark on a year-long journey of writing letters of appreciation for 365 consecutive days. They discuss the profound effects of this practice on Tracey’s own relationships and overall well-being, as well as for the recipients of her appreciation notes. Tracey also shares heartwarming stories about her adored father, who was the inspiration for her book The Power of a Few Kind Words. Listen in as Tracey offers insights on the importance of kindness, intentionality, and seeing the value in others. 

Episode Highlights:

➔ Embracing Fear and Discomfort

➔ The Power and Impact of Kind Words

➔ Connecting through Lingering and Listening

➔ The Emotional Power of Handwritten Notes of Appreciation

➔ How Supporting Oneself Can Benefit Others

➔ The Origin Story of  “A Few Kind Words”

➔ Creating Meaning and Purpose out of Loss

➔ Embracing Vulnerability and Writing a Book

Find out more about Tracey at:

Website: https://www.afewkindwords.net/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afewkindwordschallenge/

Buy the Book:  The Power of a Few Kind Words

Better yet - support an independent bookstore!  :)

Learn more and follow along with me - Joan Paul

Website: https://hernextact.com/

instagram: @hernextact

facebook: @joanpaul

The Griswold Inn

Thank you for listening and remember, you're never too old, and it's not too late! That one day is now!

xojoan

Joan Paul sits down with author, radio host, speaker, performer, and podcast creator Randye Kaye for a conversation about creativity, resilience, and reinventing yourself at every stage of life.

Randye shares her multi-decade journey from folk singer and actor to radio personality, author, advocate, and podcaster, proving that it’s never too late to explore new ideas, pivot careers, or pursue meaningful work. Together, Joan and Randye explore how curiosity, courage, and community can help women in midlife and beyond continue to grow, contribute, and thrive.

This conversation also touches on deeply personal experiences, including navigating single motherhood, supporting a child with schizophrenia, and transforming life’s hardest moments into opportunities for purpose and service. Randye’s message is clear: take the first step, learn as you go, and trust that your ideas and voice still matter.

Through storytelling and lived wisdom, she invites listeners to embrace imperfection, keep creating, and stay open to what’s possible in their next chapter.

Episode Highlights

• Trusting “crazy ideas” and taking the first step toward something new
• Why creativity and curiosity keep us vibrant as we age
• The reality of reinvention after divorce, career shifts, and life challenges
• Supporting a child with mental illness and finding purpose through advocacy
• Writing and publishing a book through persistence and accountability
• Building a speaking career and embracing a growth mindset
• Launching new podcasts later in life, including Good at Heart
• Creating a one-woman show and the power of storytelling
• Letting go of perfectionism and redefining self-worth
• Why it’s never too late to start again, create, and contribute

About the Guest:

Randye Kaye is a radio host, author, speaker, performer, and podcast creator dedicated to helping others live creatively and purposefully at every stage of life. Through her writing, advocacy, and storytelling, she supports individuals navigating mental health challenges and encourages women to pursue new possibilities with courage and curiosity.

Website:  https://www.randyekaye.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RandyeKayeOfficial/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/randyekaye/

Learn more and follow along with me - Joan Paul

Website: https://hernextact.com/

instagram: @hernextact

facebook: @joanpaul

The Griswold Inn

Thank you for listening and remember, you're never too old, and it's not too late! That one day is now!

xojoan

In this episode of Her Next Act, host Joan Paul sits down with Dr. Karin Drescher, a longtime anesthesiologist and educator, to explore what it looks like to evolve a calling after decades in medicine without walking away from it entirely.

After more than 35 years practicing anesthesiology in an academic medical center, Dr. Drescher began asking deeper questions about health, longevity, and what truly helps people thrive as they age. Her curiosity led her to certification through the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and into a powerful next act rooted in prevention, education, and purpose.

Still practicing part-time in the operating room, Karin is now stepping into a new role as a teacher and guide, translating complex medical science into practical, accessible tools that help people improve energy, sleep, metabolic health, and overall vitality, especially in midlife and beyond.

Episode Highlights:

• How a 35+ year career in anesthesiology sparked a passion for lifestyle medicine and longevity
• Why so many chronic conditions seen in the operating room are rooted in preventable lifestyle factors
• The six pillars of lifestyle medicine, nutrition, movement, sleep, stress management, avoiding toxic substances, and social connection — and why they matter more with age
• What menopause, hormones, and metabolic health mean for women’s long-term vitality
• Why sleep is one of the most underestimated drivers of health and aging
• The tension between freedom and purpose in midlife and early retirement
• How teaching and simplifying complex information can become a meaningful next act
• Why it’s never “too late” to begin sharing what you know even if you’re not a natural risk-taker
• How listening to what wakes you up at night can reveal what’s next

This conversation is a thoughtful, honest look at what it means to matter in the second half of life not by working harder, but by working differently. Dr. Drescher’s story is a reminder that experience doesn’t expire, curiosity doesn’t age out, and purpose can evolve alongside freedom.

If you’re navigating midlife health questions, rethinking retirement, curious about lifestyle medicine, or feeling a quiet pull toward something new, this episode offers both inspiration and grounded wisdom for your own next act.

If you want to learn more from Dr. Karin Drescher, please email [email protected].

Learn more and follow along with me - Joan Paul

Website: https://hernextact.com/

instagram: @hernextact

facebook: @joanpaul

The Griswold Inn

Thank you for listening and remember, you're never too old, and it's not too late! That one day is now!

xojoan

In this episode of Her Next Act, Joan Paul sits down with Kim Thomas, founder of New England Coastal Creative, to explore what it truly means to embrace creativity in midlife and use it as a force for connection, confidence, and community.

Kim’s next act emerged from lived experience, career pivots, creative risk-taking, and a deep desire to build the kind of community she once needed herself. What started as a spark grew into a thriving creative collective that now brings together women founders, artists, entrepreneurs, and influencers across New England.

Episode Highlights:

• Why midlife can be the most powerful season for creative expression
• How trusting your creativity (even after setbacks) leads to reinvention
• The role community plays in helping women take bolder risks
• Why women struggle with visibility, self-worth, and charging their value and how that shifts with age and the wisdom that comes with it.
• The difference between having an idea and committing to it
• How Kim’s events like Bloom and Elevate are helping women amplify their next act

This conversation is an honest, energizing reminder that creativity doesn’t diminish with age it sharpens. And when women stop waiting for permission and start building together, the ripple effect can be transformative.

If you’re in midlife, sitting on an idea, craving connection, or wondering if it’s “too late” to start something new this episode is your sign.

About the Guest
Kim Thomas is the founder of New England Coastal Creative and Shorelines Illustrated, platforms dedicated to elevating women, creativity, and coastal New England living through community and curated experiences.

Connect with Kim:

• New England Coastal Creative: necoastalcreative.com | @necoastalcreative
• Shorelines Illustrated: shorelinesillustrated.com | @shorelinesillustrated

Learn more and follow along with me - Joan Paul

Website: https://hernextact.com/

instagram: @hernextact

facebook: @joanpaul

The Griswold Inn

Thank you for listening and remember, you're never too old, and it's not too late! That one day is now!

xojoan

In this episode of Her Next Act, host Joan Paul closes out Season One with gratitude, reflection, and a deep sense of fulfillment. Sitting on Amelia Island, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean the same place she launched this podcast one year ago Joan celebrates the full-circle moment of completing 27 episodes and a year-long commitment to sharing stories of courage, reinvention, and possibility.

Joan reflects on how Her Next Act began with a simple idea that wouldn’t let her go, a spark that grew into a platform for women in their 50s, 60s, and beyond to share how they’ve redefined what’s possible in this next phase of life. She opens up about the fears and doubts that surfaced early on, and how staying consistent became an act of self-trust and personal integrity. Through every interview, she discovered not just her guests’ transformations but her own.

Revisiting several guests, Joan shares inspiring updates from Dr. Alicia Farrell’s new parenting platform to Sue Skelly’s upcoming “Women Who Walk the World” podcast, and Cynthia Coddington’s culinary adventures in Italy. These stories reveal a powerful truth: courage grows with practice, creativity flourishes in connection, and transformation rarely happens overnight, but it always begins with one small, brave step.

As she reflects on what she’s learned from this journey, Joan invites listeners to pause and ask themselves what’s calling them next. Whether it’s a long-held dream, a creative pursuit, or a new direction in life, she reminds us that it’s never too late to begin again.

Episode Highlights

• The full-circle moment of completing Season One on Amelia Island
• How Her Next Act began and grew into a thriving community
• Guest reflections and updates from Dr. Alicia Farrell, Sue Skelly, and Cynthia Coddington
• Lessons learned about fear, vulnerability, and the courage to keep going
• An invitation to follow your own inner nudge and take the next step toward what’s calling you

As Joan prepares for Season Two, launching in early January, she encourages listeners to stay curious, stay creative, and keep saying yes to what makes them come alive. Because as she reminds us, you’re not too old, and it’s not too late, your next act might just be your best one yet.

Follow Her Next Act on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to be the first to hear when Season Two launches.

Learn more and follow along with me - Joan Paul

Website: https://hernextact.com/

instagram: @hernextact

facebook: @joanpaul

The Griswold Inn

Thank you for listening and remember, you're never too old, and it's not too late! That one day is now!

xojoan

In this inspiring episode of Her Next Act, host Joan Paul sits down with Monya Elgart, an optometrist turned visionary land steward who is courageously redefining what life can look like after fifty. 

Following a Gray Divorce, Monya chose to reinvent rather than retreat; purchasing an 85-acre farm and transforming it into Durham Equestrian, a poetic sanctuary for horses, humans, and healing.

Joan and Monya explore what it means to pursue a dream in progress, how to navigate uncertainty, rebuild confidence, and honor both joy and struggle along the way. Their conversation reveals the courage it takes to create something meaningful in midlife, even when it looks nothing like what came before.

Episode Highlights:

 • How Monya reimagined her life on an 85-acre equestrian property
 • What inspired her to embrace reinvention after navigating a gray divorce
 • The emotional and practical lessons of starting over in midlife
 • How horses, land, and nature became unexpected catalysts for healing and creativity
 • The story behind Durham Equestrian and its mission to nurture people, animals, and the environment
 • Why perfection isn’t the goal and how progress, presence, and joy are the real markers of success
 • The importance of supportive relationships and surrounding yourself with people who align with your vision

This heartfelt conversation is a reminder that it’s never too late to design your next act, one built on courage, creativity, and purpose. Whether you’re beginning again, following a long-held dream, or searching for meaning after a major life change, Monya’s story will leave you feeling grounded, hopeful, and inspired to take your own next step.

Connect with Monya Elgart:

Website: https://www.durham-equestrian.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/durham.equestrian

Learn more and follow along with me - Joan Paul

Website: https://hernextact.com/

instagram: @hernextact

facebook: @joanpaul

The Griswold Inn

Thank you for listening and remember, you're never too old, and it's not too late! That one day is now!

xojoan

Do you relate to Lydia as a seeker, always reaching for the highest expression of herself? Follow the show so you don't miss an inspiring conversation with women continuing to create their next act, committed to growth. Your follow will also help other women discover the show. Follow the show on Apple podcasts.

In this week’s episode of Her Next Act, host Joan Paul welcomes Lydia Dean, humanitarian, author, and co-founder of GoPhilanthropic Foundation and Ethos Journeys. Lydia shares her extraordinary path from building a picture-perfect life in Florida to letting it all go in search of meaning, purpose, and authenticity.

What begins as a conversation about courage quickly expands into a deeply human story about listening to the voice within, embracing discomfort, and rediscovering the light that exists inside each of us. Lydia opens up about the moment she realized that “having it all” wasn’t enough; the house, the business, the family and then the painful unraveling that followed when she dared to ask "Now what?"

From moving her family to Provence, to creating a global philanthropic travel company that connected everyday travelers with grassroots changemakers, Lydia shares how travel became both a classroom and a catalyst for awakening. She also discusses her latest project, Ethos Journeys, and how the Camino pilgrimage reignited her creative spirit and led her to begin writing her third book.

Through honest conversation, Joan and Lydia explore what it means to balance being and doing, how privilege and purpose intersect, and why small, simple acts of love and curiosity can ripple out to change the world.

Whether you’re navigating midlife transitions, re-examining success, or simply longing for something more, this episode will inspire you to pause, listen, and trust the quiet call of your own inner knowing.

Episode Highlights

• The moment Lydia realized she was living the dream, but not her dream
• Navigating marriage, motherhood, and the calling of her purpose
• The “cracking open” that led her to question everything
• Moving to Provence and learning the art of simplicity
• How GoPhilanthropic redefined global connection and contribution
• The burnout, the body’s wisdom, and learning to just be
• Why small, heartfelt actions create lasting impact
• The Camino and awakening to the light within

This episode is a beautiful reminder that the path to fulfillment isn’t about doing more it’s about the journey to who you are.

Books Mentioned:
Jumping the Picket Fence
Light Through the Cracks

Learn more and follow along with me - Joan Paul

Website: https://hernextact.com/

instagram: @hernextact

facebook: @joanpaul

The Griswold Inn

Thank you for listening and remember, you're never too old, and it's not too late! That one day is now!

xojoan

In this heartfelt episode of Her Next Act, host Joan Paul reflects on her recent return from co-hosting a women’s retreat in the south of France with her cousin, Jenn Wolcott of Local Rendezvous Travel. What unfolded over those days was more than travel, food, and breathtaking views it was a profound reminder of the power of community, courage, and shared experience in navigating life’s transitions.

Surrounded by ten women, each carrying her own story, Joan witnessed the full spectrum of life: deep belly laughs, tender tears, and honest conversations about change, grief, new chapters, and dreams yet to be lived. The retreat revealed a powerful truth: we are meant to walk through life together, not alone.

From the magical backdrop of France, with its art, history, and cuisine, to the raw honesty of women opening up to one another, Joan shares how travel can stir something deep within us, sometimes planting seeds of inspiration that only blossom weeks or years later. She reminds us that life is not about choosing joy over sorrow, but embracing the fullness of both.

This episode is an invitation to reflect:

• Where in your life can you invite more connection?
• How might you allow yourself to feel the full range of your emotions?
• What inspiration is waiting to guide you into your next chapter?

Whether you’re moving through a transition or simply curious about what’s next, Joan’s reflections from this “trip of a lifetime” will encourage you to slow down, breathe deeply, and lean into community as you sculpt a life aligned with who you truly are.

localrendezvoustravel.com

Learn more and follow along with me - Joan Paul

Website: https://hernextact.com/

instagram: @hernextact

facebook: @joanpaul

The Griswold Inn

Thank you for listening and remember, you're never too old, and it's not too late! That one day is now!

xojoan

In this solo episode of Her Next Act, host Joan Paul reflects on the seasons of change we all experience whether it’s children leaving home, shifting careers, aging, or simply moving through life’s natural cycles and how these transitions, while often uncomfortable, can become powerful invitations to growth.

Drawing from her own journey as a woman in her sixties, Joan shares how she’s learned to see change not as loss but as an opening. By reframing transitions as entry points, she shows how we can release what no longer serves us, create space for what’s next, and step into new possibilities with courage and curiosity.

Episode Highlights:

• Why change often feels unsettling, yet carries within it the promise of renewal
• The importance of embracing the “in-between” season as a fertile place for reflection and discovery
• How letting go of old roles or beliefs can create space for alignment and new passions
• Practical encouragement for navigating transitions with openness instead of resistance

This episode is a heartfelt reminder that while we can’t go back, we can choose how we move forward. Change, as Joan reminds us, isn’t the end of the story it’s the beginning of your next act.

Learn more and follow along with me - Joan Paul

Website: https://hernextact.com/

instagram: @hernextact

facebook: @joanpaul

The Griswold Inn

Thank you for listening and remember, you're never too old, and it's not too late! That one day is now!

xojoan

How one woman found her next act in her 50s, guiding people through healing and life transitions with the wisdom of horses.

In this inspiring episode of Her Next Act, host Joan Paul sits down with Patty Ganey, co-founder of The Next Step in Lyme, Connecticut, to explore how horses help us reconnect with authenticity, release old stories, and embrace the power of being fully present.

Patty shares her journey from corporate life and raising a family to pursuing her lifelong passion for horses in midlife, and how that passion grew into a powerful program that transforms lives. 

Employng the EQUUS Effect, she and her business partner guide veterans, first responders, and women in transition to process emotions, build resilience, and experience profound breakthroughs, often in a matter of hours.

Whether you’ve ever loved horses - or not - this conversation will open your eyes to:

• What being in the presence of horses can teach us - how tuning in with the messages your body is sending you can be so helpful in getting in touch with ourselves, supporting us to get into alignment with our emotions and what we may need and want.
• Recognizing how vulnerability, authenticity, and congruence play a vital role in healing.
• The surprising power of unmounted equine experiences for stress, life transitions and personal exploration and growth
• And as always, the message that it's never too late to follow a passion and create your own “Next Act.”

Learn more about Patty’s work:

• Website: http://www.thenextstephorses.com
• The Equus Effect: https://www.theequuseffect.org

Learn more and follow along with me - Joan Paul

Website: https://hernextact.com/

instagram: @hernextact

facebook: @joanpaul

The Griswold Inn

Thank you for listening and remember, you're never too old, and it's not too late! That one day is now!

xojoan