Older Women & Friends: Real Women. Real Experts. Real Talk About Aging

Join me as I delve into the world of classical music with Roit Feldenkreis, a trailblazing conductor and consultant.

Discover Roit's journey from a small village in Israel to conducting orchestras worldwide, and how she integrates her musical expertise into corporate leadership.

This episode explores the challenges and triumphs of being a female conductor in a male-dominated field, and the innovative ways Roit is bridging the gap between music and business.

https://roitfeldenkreis.com/bio/

https://roitfeldenkreis.com/press/

Recommended Podcast, "Wisdom At Work"

www.wisdomatworkpodcast.com 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilanalandsberglewis/

Three of the past guests on "Older Women & Friends" talk about what they've been up to since we last spoke. All three of their stories represent the exciting escapades of older women who continue to smash stereotypes to simitherenes.

Melissa Davey: At age 65, she left the corporate world to follow a dream of becoming a filmmaker. And, boy, her story is one of determination, creativity, and success. Melissa and I first talked back at the end of 2022. She was one of my first guests on "Older Women & Friends." I was impressed then and even more three years later. Melissa's first documentary film, "Beyond Sixty," profiled some extraordinary older women. It is her second film, "Climbing Into Life," that has put her on the map. Dierdre Wolowniick, the oldest woman to climb El Capitan in Yosemite, is the subject of this documentary. You may know about her son, who is the subject of "Free Solo." He is the first person who climbed "Cap" without any protective equipment. No ropes. Nothing.

In this episode, Melissa chronicles the amazing life of Dierdre, who tries to get closer to her son and to understand his obsession with climbing.

https://melissadavey.com/

https://melissadavey.com/climbing-into-life/

https://melissadavey.com/beyond-60/

Jeanette Leardi - During these stressful times in our country's history, Jeanette is focused on the 2025 mid-term elections. "To me," she says, "that is ground zero. If we get it right, things can turn around." Switching gears, Jeanette cites the happy rise in the emphasis on intergenerational communication. "It is the most important way to defeat ageism." She offers how we can meet younger folks and the kinds of experiences we can share. I also asked Jeanette about her experience with the publication of her book, Aging Sideways: Changing Our Perspectives on Getting Older.

https://www.jeanetteleardi.com/

https://www.jeanetteleardi.com/aging-sideways-book

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanette-leardi-3978b126/

Lucinda Skykes - Lucinda sets the record for the most frequent guest on "Older Women & Friends." She is a retired physician who has focused her attention and expertise on sleep and women 50+. It is natural to sleep as much as we age, she says. The objective is to use your time to your advantage, either in the middle of the night or early morning. Lucinda details steps any woman (and man) can take to do exactly that. If you've listened to an episode with Lucinda, you know that she is knowledgeable about so many topics, including wisdom and how we can take advantage of all that we've experienced and live happy, fulfilling lives.

https://lucindasykesmd.com/

https://lucindasykesmd.com/my-story/

Dian Griesel, Ph.D., a renowned perception analyst and hypnotherapist, has dedicated her career to understanding how our conscious and unconscious beliefs shape our perceptions and influence every decision we make, both personally and professionally.

The middle of five siblings, Dian grew up doing her best to balance the "uppers" and the "lowers." She tried to be non-disruptive, not to cause any dissention among the ranks. She was the unofficial "peace maker" in the family. And

it was her experience growing up that groomed Dian to be the "quiet, confident advisor" or, as she describes it, "the fly on the wall."

Some of the Key Points of Discussion in this energetic, eye-opening episode:

Objective vs. Subjective Age: While we can't change our chronological age, our mental attitude and actions can significantly influence how young we feel. Dian's personal experiences and professional insights reveal how maintaining an active lifestyle and positive mindset can make a difference.

Biological Age: Utilizing tools like the Tanita Body Fat scale, Dian monitors her biological age, which often reflects a much younger state due to her healthy habits. She shares practical advice on hydration, nutrition, and physical activity.

Fountain of Youth Myths: From historical quests to modern-day fads, Dian offers a grounded perspective on the true keys to longevity and vitality—movement, nutritious eating, and genuine social connections.

Embracing Mortality: Dian discusses her philosophy on aging and death, emphasizing the importance of living fully and purposefully each day, despite life's inevitable challenges.

She is known to millions as @SilverDisobedience.

https://diangriesel.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/diangriesel/

https://www.agingwithpurposeandpassion.com/

The Woman Behind The Mother

Poet, novelist, essayist, and editor Jill Bialosky had wanted to write about her mother for some time, but she was busy with other projects, and the timing was not right. But then her mother passed away from Alzheimer's during COVID, and Jill, unable to attend the burial in another city, watched the abbreviated burial on FaceTime. "It was," she said, "very difficult to process her death."

As many authors do, she turned to writing to process her grief. Her essay about the FaceTime Funeral appeared in the New York Times; The floodgates opened wide. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/15/opinion/coronavirus-burial-facetime.html

Jill's mother was born in 1933 into a world in which women were expected to marry, have children, and live happily ever after. Tragically, her husband died when she was twenty-five, and she was left to care for three daughters, all under the age of three. "She was so unequipped," Jill said. "The advice of family and friends was to find a new husband to take care of us. That's what she did." Unfortunately, that marriage didn't last.

When Jill began to write about her mother in earnest, she decided to start with her mother's death and to move from there, tracing her mother's life back to her childhood. In this episode of "Older Women & Friends," she explains why she decided to move from the end to the beginning. She also takes a hard look at what living in an institution is like and her evolving view of people with Alzheimer's. "They no longer control the narrative of their lives, but are still expressing and participating."

This is a touching, insightful episode that should not be missed.

https://www.jillbialosky.com/

Another recommended podcast for mid-life women.

"Aging with Purpose and Passion" with Beverly Glazer

https://www.agingwithpurposeandpassion.com/

"I tell women all the time that embracing one's authentic self in life takes time.

It is like peeling multiple layers of an onion," said Clare. "You want to be the same person, no matter where you are."

Clare Beckton grew up "very poor." Her family lived in a three-room shack with no running water. What she understood early on was how power was wielded by her father, her brothers, and the men in the small farming community where she lived and how women got the short shaft. "I was a feminist at an early age," Clare said. "I knew that I wanted to make a difference."

There were no strong, self-assured female role models in Clare's life. But she decided to go to law school, and with no money, she set out to win all the school awards and land a scholarship, which she did. Upon graduation, she was encouraged to go to graduate school in law and nabbed a teaching fellowship. Later on, she then spent twenty-three years in the Canadian Justice Department.

"I call this stage of life rewirement, not retirement," Clare said. "I focus only on my passion for making a difference with women entrepreneurs and older women in the workplace."

"I tell women all the time that embracing one's authentic self in life--knowing who we are as a person-- takes time, like peeling multiple layers of an onion," said Clare. "You want to be the same person, no matter where you are."

How do you connect with your authentic self? Clare offers many suggestions:

• Reconnect with your values. Consider what's driving your life. If you're out of alignment with the values of the work you're doing, ask why you're doing what you're doing, and make any necessary changes.
• Seek feedback. Listen to what someone has to say. Even if the feedback is not what you'd hoped, learn from it.
• Reflection - Ask yourself what part you played in a situation that went wrong, and learn from your mistakes or misjudgments
• Acknowledge your successes. Celebrate.
• Network. Build connections. Understand how the system devalues your talents and skills, and collaborate with other women about strategies, experiences, and solutions.
• Show Up, Speak Up. Never lose your voice.
• Get up in the morning with a PURPOSE, a reason to look forward to the day.

"We live in a society that doesn't value the wisdom of older people, particularly women," said Clare. "Refuse to be invisible. Don't be sidelined.

The title of Clare's book says it all: Own It: Your Success, Your Future, Your Life.

https://www.amazon.com/Own-Your-Success-Future-Life/dp/1460252314 or wherever books are sold

https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarebeckton/

https://womensbusinessnetwork.ca/introducing-clare-beckton-honorary-bya-chair/

Check out Clare's blogs on Huffington Post

Another great podcast to check out:

Aging With Purpose & Passion w/ host, Beverly Glazer

https://www.agingwithpurposeandpassion.com/

Email [email protected]

Website https://reinventimpossible.com/podcast

Website: https://www.agingwithpurposeandpassion.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/beverleyglazer/

https://www.facebook.com/beverley.glazer

Grouphttps://www.facebook.com/groups/womenover50rock

https://www.instagram.com/beverleyglazer_reinvention/

"Anorexia of aging" may affect up to 18% of individuals 65+, more women than men.

Contrary to popular opinion, eating disorders (EDs) are not just a serious health condition for adolescents. Nope, older women, often during menopause, can develop an ED. If you struggled with an ED as a teen or earlier, your chances of sliding back increase.

Today's guest, Michele Mason (60), is a 44-year survivor of anorexia nervosa. She was sixteen when, at 5'11" and weighing 150 pounds, she shrank to 100 pounds. After a three-month hospital stay, she managed to keep her anorexia in check and, over the years, stuffed the experience away to the point where she'd convinced herself that none of this had ever happened.

Following the Pandemic and the explosion of social media, Michele began writing a memoir titled Annihilating Anorexia. She felt compelled to share her experience and all that she'd learned along the way. "I came kicking and screaming," she said. "I was certain people would think less of me."

To her surprise, she received support, kindness, and understanding. And she also discovered that older women and anorexia were much more common than she'd imagined. "When I was pitching the book, women came up to me with stories of a daughter or friend or another family member who was struggling with an eating disorder. I was amazed."

In this episode, Michele and I talk about the red flags of eating disorders, the symptoms, the pressures in today's world to be thin, and the fortitude it takes to conquer the disease. Research is showing that eating disorders may be brain-based and that there are people who have a genetic predisposition.

We also talk about the shame women (and men) feel and the education desperately needed to help curb a problem that is growing, one that is affecting more and more older women.

https://www.amazon.com/Annihilating-Anorexia-Memoir-Michele-Mason/dp/1088178545

[email protected]

Melinda Blau is 81, but many of her dear friends are much older. These women populate her new book, The Wisdom Whisperers, and provide younger women (at 80, I must be a spring chicken!) with a playbook to draw from and relate to our own lives.

When Melinda wrote her sixteenth book, she wanted to title it, "I want what she has!" She was deeply moved and impressed by the older women, most of whom were in their 90s and 100s.

I asked Melinda what characteristics the wisdom whisperers had in common:

* Interest in others - a very robust social life

* A Purpose - a reason to wake up every day and live it to the fullest

* Gratitude for their good fortune that they have had long, fruitful lives and for the people in their lives, past and present

* Humor - Laughing with others

& Yes, independence. The women were the CEOs of their own lives

Melinda calls these women "old ladies." She got some flak from family and friends. But she was undeterred. "Old," she says, "is just an adjective. It describes me and others in the age group. These old ladies give me hope about aging, and that's such a good thing to have."

The beginning of your life is about making memories. The end of life is about remembering.

Zelda from The Wisdom Whisperers.

https://melindablau.com/

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1640657134?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_E3WDVZDAFZEWP0FKKD7N_2&bestFormat=true

OR your local library.

Maybe you've seen the Showtime special, "Funny Women of A Certain Age" or "More Funny Women of A Certain Age," or -- you guessed it--even "More Women of A Certain Age." Today's guest, comedian Carole Montgomery, is the mover and shaker behind the shows and continues to tour with a stellar cast. Women show up in carloads, busloads, campers, and hoot and holler at the uninhibited, outrageous comedy about aging. No subject is off limits.

• In this episode of "Older Women & Friends," Carole talks about the importance of having girlfriends--the value of friendship as we age
• The negative stereotypes about older women & how comedy can open the door to show how ludicrous most of these misconceptions are
• The female comedians like Lily Tomlin, Joan Rivers, and Phyllis Diller, who set the stage for the next generation
• Humor and the importance of laughter that takes us away from physical and mental pain
• Her love of being in the spotlight, she was always funny
• Changes in the industry that now sports a plethora of female comedians.

& So Much More!

Check out the schedule below. There may be a show coming to a city near you.

[email protected]

https://www.funnywomenofacertainage.com/

https://www.funnywomenofacertainage.com/podcast

https://www.funnywomenofacertainage.com/tour

Wendy Alexander grew up under apartheid in South Africa. Until she was seven, she felt like most other kids. That changed the day the police insisted that she and her family get off a whites-only beach. "I was no longer a child," Wendy said. "Once you know racism and segregation, you know it."

Wendy's dream was to leave South Africa; while the dream was deferred, she and her family immigrated to Australia when Wendy was twenty. But it wasn't easy to acclimate to the newfound freedoms. It took over two years before Wendy felt relaxed, safe.

This should have had a happy ending. Sadly, it did not. A relationship with an Australian went bad, very bad. The man walked away, leaving Wendy with a mortgage and bills she couldn't afford, a baby soon to be born, and the scars of domestic violence. Wendy was devastated.

This episode traces Wendy's journey from deep emotional and financial depression to a successful succession of high-paying, high-pressure jobs that kept her financially secure until she left it all behind to expand her own business, the Happy Career Club.

What Wendy learned from her own experiences with corporations is shared with her clients, the vast majority of whom have gone on to professional and personal success. She has great advice for planning to "move on," getting to know prospective employers, writing a good resume, and all kinds of other dos and don'ts.

Her winning strategies complement the happiness that she values and the lessons learned.

https://happycareerhub.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyaalexander/?originalSubdomain=au

facebook.com/happycareerhubcoaching

https://www.amazon.com/Internal-Uprising-Reclaiming-Through-Menopause/dp/B0BSD3LRJX

"So the light went off in my five-year-old head, and I said there must be something in stories that we need. Stories are like air or water. So, I decided right then and there that I wanted to be a storyteller, a writer." _______ Shelley Fraser Mickle

While her route was circuitous, as most journeys are, Shelley became an award-winning author and the storyteller incarnate for six years on NPR's "Morning Edition." The story she didn't tell often, though, was how, at age six, she was diagnosed with polio and taken to a hospital for infectious children, where she spent three months in isolation. Even more horrifying was that two of the children in her ward died right alongside her. There was an iron lung next to Shelley, poised to make her even more of a prisoner, but she bravely survived and rendered the iron lung unnecessary.

After such a horrifying trauma, how do you come around to humor? Well, Shelley explained, her mother was straight out of "I Love Lucy," a real hoot. She suffered from depression, and laughter was an elixir. Shelley came home with at least one funny story daily to entertain her mother.

Shelley had dreamed of becoming a cowgirl just like Dale Evans. (I hope that reference rings a bell.) She loved animals and, with her husband, bought a farm stocked full of all kinds of beloved creatures. And then along came Buddy, a neighbor's dog much more interested in spending time with Shelley than her owner.

Buddy became Shelley's beloved companion for ten years and saw so many things about her that she didn't see in herself. Theirs was a love affair.

"I'm 81 years old in this long life. I've had a lot of weird boyfriends, but I've never had the obsessive adoration that Buddy was offering me."

That special connection between a human and a dog is the overarching theme of Shelley's latest book, Itching To Love: The Story of a Dog.

Listen to NPR's "Morning Edition" emeritus and award-winning author as she tells her story of physical challenge, a career as a humorist, a dream realized to be a cowgirl, and the touching relationship with her dog, Buddy.

https://www.shelleymickle.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Itching-Love-Story-Shelley-Mickle/dp/1637633394 or wherever books are sold

https://www.shelleymickle.com/books

https://www.shelleymickle.com/book-clubs