Magnificent Midlife

Meet the very lovely and straight-talking Elizabeth Temperley-Shell who went from working in corporate design to retraining as an acupuncturist.

In this fascinating and inspiring interview we cover:

• How early menopause and infertility lead Elizabeth to acupuncture
• Why she embarked on a degree course in midlife
• How this choice means she will be learning forever!
• How changes including acupuncture lead to her being able to have a child
• How friends didn't really understand her journey
• Why life is too short for plain biscuits – don't settle for the boring
• How we only have one life and it's important to do what we want with it
• Why beginning her study later in life actually made it less daunting
• How acupuncture can help with menopause because it's all about restoring balance in the body
• Why looking after ourselves in midlife is key if we want to enjoy a long healthy life
• The concept of Yangsheng – living well and with balance
• The four elements of Yangsheng and why they are so important
• How Elizabeth doesn't feel she needs to prove anything to anyone anymore
• 5 element acupuncture
• Tree bathing

And lots more!

Find out more about Elizabeth on her website https://www.temperleyacupuncture.com/

Meet Jacynth Bassett, the founder of fabulous online fashion boutique, the-Bias-Cut, and an avid anti-ageism activist. She's also still in her 20s, but has a better handle on ageism than many women Rachel knows!

In this inspiring interview we talk about:

• Why Jacynth gave up a law career to set up her business
• How she came to be so interested in ageism
• How Jacynth was inspired by her mother
• The Ageism Is Never In Style campaign
• Why it's so important to fight ageism especially in the fashion industry
• Why women of all ages should be able to wear whatever they like
• How damaging it is to judge how anyone chooses to age
• There's no such thing as age appropriate when it comes to fashion and style
• Not succumbing to ageist narratives or any stereotypes
• Dressing to feel how you want to feel
• The importance of being open to new ideas with clothes as we age

And lots more!

Find out more about Jacynth and browse her wonderful store at the-Bias-Cut.com

Rosetta Magdalen is the Dynamic Divorcée. After her own devastating divorce she's dedicated her life to helping other women move on from divorce and get back to living a fantastic, vibrant life, hopefully far happier than before!

In this inspiring interview we talk about:

• How divorce and any big life change can be seen as a gift
• How we may have at least 4 different 'lifetimes' now that we live so much longer
• The importance of feeling the pain after divorce, but knowing when to move on
• Working out your role in the breakup regardless of what happened
• Working out who you really are as an individual not part of a couple
• Blessings in our lives often turn up looking like dragons - but suspend judgement for a while
• How we often want to have more of an impact as we age
• Finding our superpowers in midlife
• Not adding to our pressure and to do lists with a self-care one!

And lots more!

Find out about more about Rosetta's work on her website The Dynamic Divorcée.

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Elaine Miller is a pelvic health physiotherapist and stand up comedian. She's on a mission to end incontinence through raising awareness, and laughing a lot along the way.

In this very funny and enlightening interview we talk about:

• How 1 in 3 women will suffer from stress incontinence
• How 84% can be cured with just 6 treatments with a pelvic health physio
• Funny stories from Elaine's long career talking about pelvic floors
• Elaine's journey from physio to stand up comedian
• What it's like doing a show about incontinence on the Edinburgh Fringe
• What we can all do to help ourselves with incontinence
• How incontinence may be common but it is NOT normal

And lots more!

Find out about more about Elaine on her website Gusset Grippers! You can get tickets to her Edinburgh Fringe show here.

Meet Jane Evans, the founder of The Uninvisibility Project which is campaigning to end the invisibility that hits women as we get older.

In this fascinating and thought-provoking interview we talk about:

• How Jane's own experience of becoming invisible in the workplace lead her to set up The Uninvisibility Project
• What The Uninvisibility Project is all about and the importance of highlighting older women and the great things they are doing
• How we're losing out on a great skill base because of prejudice against older women
• How old norms about ageing and women's careers need to change in-line with increases in life expectancy
• The jobs available for women 50+ often tend to be menial and professional women are having to do these to make ends meet
• How women's experience is terribly under-valued
• Older women need to continue the pioneering they began by entering many of the previously exclusively male professions
• The advantages to getting older and changing perceptions
• The silver reservoir of talent that is being wasted
• How the lack of sexual objectification post menopause can change the dynamic in the workplace
• Building a matriarchal model for new businesses
• How to cope with feeling invisible
• Reaching out and talking to other older women
• How female competition does women no favors
• Wrinkle creams don't work – better to put your money into your pension
• Changing anti-ageing to pro-ageing
• Living longer and how to make the most of that
• Finding the talented women who left work due to a toxic male work environment

And lots more!

Find out about The Uninvisibility Project and get involved!

Find out more and check out our Members Club at Magnificent Midlife.

Ashton Applewhite is an author, speaker and anti-ageism activist. Rachel discovered her work about three years ago and has been quoting her daily ever since. Ashton got a standing ovation when she did a main stage Ted talk called Let's End Ageism. She was invited to speak at the UN. She's recently republished her book This Chair Rocks, A Manifesto Against Ageism.

In this amazing interview we talk about:

• How Ashton never had a life plan or knew what she wanted to be
• Why we worship youth in Anglo-Saxon cultures
• The lack of products and services for older people
• How we often don't like to identify as being in midlife or older
• How facing the ageing monsters is useful
• How fears about ageing are totally out of proportion to reality
• Our attitudes towards ageing affect how we age
• The U-Curve of Happiness
• How midlife is a time of reckoning
• How ageism starts between our ears
• How we need to be more generous towards each other and ourselves
• When we compete to stay young we reinforce ageism, sexism and the patriarchy
• How raising consciousness about ageing and ageism is key
• Why we should be able to compete for 100% of the seats at any table
• How to stop reinforcing the shame associated with ageing
• Being aware of intersectionality when considering prejudice
• The importance of language relating to age
• Ashton's knees and not blaming non-age related issues on age
• Continuing the movement

And lots more!

Ashton's website where you can find out about her appearances, how to set up a conscious raising group and lots of other great stuff.

You can watch her Ted talk here.

Ashton's Book

Meet the very lovely Rachel Peru who's gone from nursery school teacher to successful curve and silver-haired model in her 40s. Rachel is waving the flag for older, more diverse women in the media.

We talk about:

• How the decision to go grey kick-started Rachel's modelling career
• The stigma that still remains about older women going grey
• How she never would have had the confidence to do what she does now when younger
• The importance of being body positive as we age
• The pressures on younger women in terms of looks
• How things are changing when it comes to talking about menopause
• How Rachel controls the anxiety that has come on especially when travelling to modelling jobs
• The importance of getting exercise outside
• How words are powerful and what we say to ourselves matters
• Rachel's first front cover for Goldie magazine
• How beauty is about confidence
• Rachel's own Out of the bubble podcast
• How to not feel invisible
• How reinvention can help bring energy in midlife and beyond
• How Rachel nearly had a breast reduction because of lack of confidence

And lots more!

You can find out more about Rachel on her website and follow her on Instagram

This podcast is an extract from a longer video interview available in our Members Club. That's where you'll get the support, strategies and connection you need to really make midlife and beyond magnificent.

Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast player so you don't miss an episode!

An interview with Lisa Swanson, a certified health and nutrition coach, and personal trainer. She's focused on helping women in midlife and beyond get and stay healthy long term.

In this inspiring and wide-ranging interview we cover:

• Why Lisa is passionate about helping women in midlife and beyond get health and fitness right
• How her business enables her to do her other passion – rescuing dogs!
• How diets don't work and we should stop doing them
• Why it's different for women in midlife when it comes to staying fit and healthy
• The other factors at play when it comes to taking care of ourselves
• How the menopause gets a bad rap for some of our midlife issues
• The importance of listening to our bodies
• Getting enough of the right balance of macro-nutrients
• Understanding the importance of muscle failure when doing weight lifting
• How Lisa's anxiety was most helped by proper nutrition and exercise
• The dangers of a sedentary lifestyle
• The importance of having goals for your health and wellness
• Working out what lifestyle works for you
• Tracking your food and exercise
• How being busy shouldn't be a badge of honor
• Coping with the current anger in the world
• How we need more yin energy in the world
• Challenging derogatory language such as song lyrics
• Making the most of an empty nest
• Lisa's morning routine

And lots more!

You can find out more about Lisa on her website and also join her Weightlossafter50 Facebook group.

If you like this episode you might like to check out Lisa's Weight Loss Workshop in our Members Club. It includes a full resistance band workout. The Members Club is where you'll get the support, strategies and connection you need to really make midlife and beyond magnificent.

Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast player so you don't miss an episode!

An interview with Deborah Ives, the solo traveler behind the travel blog, Solo in Style, who's passionate about helping women, particularly in midlife and beyond, travel solo. She shares her own journey of how something wonderful came out of something dreadful! She's determined to show women there's no need to be scared of solo travel and she has loads of great tips to share. If you've ever wanted to travel solo, don't miss this!

In this inspiring and highly informative interview we cover:

• How Deborah first started travelling solo and why
• How to travel solo without going on a tour
• How great things can come out of bad stuff
• The importance of a bit of courage and also having a plan
• That there's no shame in travelling solo – it's all about confidence and doing what you want
• How there's no need to abandon your adventurous spirit just because you're a little older
• That it's easier to be adventurous when you're away from home
• Moving beyond couple pricing
• Eating alone when on holiday
• Forcing yourself to keep getting out there to limit isolation
• The importance of friendship
• Why we can benefit from slowing down and not rushing around too much

You can find out more about Deborah on her website and also join her Solo in Style Facebook group.

Meet midlife lifestyle coach, Kwavi Agbeyegbe, who specializes in helping women embrace midlife. She's as passionate about changing negative midlife narratives as Rachel. She also believes now is the time for us to take action, and it's never too late.

In this inspiring and uplifting interview we cover:

• The differences in how midlife and ageing are perceived in Nigeria, the US and the UK
• How Nigeria is best of the three at embracing midlife
• Why Kwavi radically changed her eating habits in her twenties
• How she first got into helping women with nutrition
• Why we need to eat less as we age
• Why it's midlife rather than menopause that causes us to gain weight
• The importance of weight-bearing exercise as we age
• How Kwavi came to be modelling a swimsuit on TV at 50
• The importance of starting and appreciating where you are
• Running your race at your pace
• How midlife is a time full of exciting possibilities
• Why it's useful to categorize food - fuel food and joy food
• How processed food exacerbates menopause symptoms
• How the way you are living now can catch up with you
• How menopause is nature's wake-up call to focus on you

You can find out more about Kwavi on her website.