She's Not Done Yet

In this episode of She's Not Done Yet: Conversations with women over 50, I chat with Nina Manolson, creator of Body Peace®.

Nina's publicist reached out to me and I was drawn immediately to the feminist ideas represented in her approach. I was particularly excited to speak with Nina because I've always struggled with my appearance, weight, and all the things women agonize over about themselves. 

Nina helps people end the war with food and body and finally feel truly at home in their body—as it is. She is known for her deeply feminist, anti-diet, body-peace approach. She brings her 30 years experience as a therapist, Nationally Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach, Body-Trust® Guide, and Psychology of Eating Teacher to helping women create a respectful and trusting relationship with their food and body.

Her courses, coaching, and poetry positively change the conversation that women are having with their body. She also writes Body-Poems as a way to encourage a shift in the way women talk to, and about their bodies.

We start with Nina reading one of her Body-Poems, She Let Herself Go (5:25). Nina started writing Body Peace® Poems because the culture is defining the conversation we women have with our bodies. Her poems reclaim our body's voices and change the conversation. 

I love it when she talks about being in a practice of being at peace with our bodies. She also touches on the way we women are trained to center ourselves on others' opinions.

I also share my body mantra with Nina: "Every day I treat my body a little better. I exercise a little more and I eat a little better."

Nina also has a Body Peace® app, available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Thanks in advance for your help:

I hope you enjoy this episode. If you did, don't keep it a secret! Please tell a friend. Your recommendation is the most powerful way to help us acquire new listeners.

Also, if you're listening to us on Apple podcasts, please rate and review us.

Suggestions for future episodes:

Have someone you want me to interview (including you)? Email me at [email protected].

Have a topic you'd like for me to discuss? Email me at [email protected].

Resources and Show Links for Nina:

Nina's website and Body Peace® App: https://ninamanolson.com/bodypeaceapp/

FREE Practicing Body-Peace® Journal: https://ninamanolson.com/body-peace/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/NinaManolsonBodyPeace

INSTA: https://www.instagram.com/ninamanolson/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ninamanolson

Free Nourished Woman Nation group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nourishedwomannation

Body-Peace® Poems https://ninamanolson.com/body-poems/

Free Resources https://ninamanolson.com/freebies/

Show Links for Becky:

Email me: [email protected]

My coaching website: https://beckyberrycoach.com 

My LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beckyberrycoach/ 

Thanks again for listening and sharing!

Becky

In this episode of She's Not Done Yet: Conversations with women over 50, I (Becky Berry) had the great pleasure of talking with my friend Valorie Baylis.

Valorie is an Atlanta-area technology veteran and digital implementation specialist who's worked at big companies (AT&T, WebMD) and small start-ups. She's currently a freelance project manager at Delta Air Lines, hence the extremely cool photo! 

Valorie and I met when she attended a meeting of Next Chapter for Women, a Meetup a friend and I founded in 2016. Our meetup turned into a private group and we're still going strong 8 years later.

I've also worked with Valorie as she's negotiated career changes over the last 8 years.

She's brilliant - a great speaker, friend, and thinker. She's a University of Michigan alum and huge Michigan football fan. We've had a couple of moments when Michigan played UGA. Since we're really good friends, it always works out!

As you listen to the podcast, you'll notice Valorie has a great voice. She's also a singer.

In this episode, Valorie and I talk about the nature of friendship and how social media can help us stay connected to far flung friends. She shares a great story about a pod she and some girlfriends created during COVID that continues with daily text.

I particularly enjoyed our conversation about welcoming the possibility of new friendships forming as we age. 

Thanks in Advance for your help:

I hope you enjoy this episode. If you did, don't keep it a secret! Please tell a friend. Your recommendation is the most powerful way to help us acquire new listeners.

Also, if you're listening to us on Apple podcasts, please rate and review us.

Suggestions for future episodes:

Have someone you want me to interview (including you)? Email me at [email protected].

Have a topic you'd like for me to discuss? Email me at [email protected].

Email me: [email protected]

My coaching website: https://beckyberrycoach.com 

My LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beckyberrycoach/ 

Thanks again for listening!

Becky

In this episode of She's Not Done Yet: Conversations with women over 50, I (Becky Berry) talk with author Kathy Elkind about her awe inspiring trek hiking 1,420 miles of the GR5.

After reading Kathy's memoir of the trip, To Walk It Is To See It: 1 Couple, 98 days, 1400 Miles on Europe's GR95. Her memoir reads like the best journal you could imagine.

After reading it, I couldn't wait to talk with her!

So you know, the GR5 starts in the Netherlands and proceeds through Belgium, Luxembourg, the whole length of France, and finally across the Alps.

I don't think I can describe the book better than I did in my Amazon review:

This beautiful work is the story of a couple walking the GR-5 for 98 days. It’s a beautiful, well-written memoir with descriptions of their surroundings that bring them to life. But it’s so much more. It’s the story of a woman who goes out on a trek and finds herself again. I was struck with the way being outside and physically active helped Kathy reacquaint herself with her core beliefs and thoughts - and her ability to know the path even though she can’t speak it. My absolute favorite part of the book is her ability to describe in concrete terms how to give ourselves self-compassion. The whole book is uplifting and inspirational, particularly the thread around her determination to come back to herself. It’s more than reclaiming her inner child; it’s about the woman owning the inner child because she always listened to her. Her inner child was her solace. I cannot recommend this book enough.

In our interview we talk about self-compassion and sloughing off the sludge of the noises and expectations painted on us as women.

We also talk about marriage and how her marriage changed and evolved on that 98 day trek.

Plus, we dive into what it's like to write a book when you've had dyslexia your entire life.

Enjoy!

Thanks in Advance for your help:

I hope you enjoy this episode. If you did, don't keep it a secret! Please tell a friend. Your recommendation is the most powerful way to help us acquire new listeners.

Also, if you're listening to us on Apple podcasts, please rate and review us.

Resources and Show Links:

Website: https://kathyelkind.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kathy.elkind

Instagram: @kathyelkind

Suggestions for future episodes:

Have someone you want me to interview (including you)? Email me at [email protected].

Have a topic you'd like for me to discuss? Email me at [email protected].

Email me: [email protected]

My coaching website: https://beckyberrycoach.com 

Thanks again for listening!

In this episode of She's Not Done Yet: Conversations with women over 50, I (Becky Berry) talk with author and farmer Jane Lee Rankin about her amazing journey to her alpaca and llama farm!

Jane Lee and I had a great time talking at Apple Hill Farm, her alpaca and llama and donkey and chicken and many other animals - farm in Banner Elk, NC (I said the wrong name in the podcast). You'll hear some of the animals in the background, along with the delightful wind you'll hear in the background occasionally.

After reading Jane Lee's memoir, Farm Family: A Solo Mom's Memoir of Finding Home, Happiness, and Alpaca's, I couldn't wait to talk to her. 

Her memoir reads like a coming of age story where she comes back to herself through her journey through cancer treatment, to motherhood, and finally to farm owner.

We talk about her determination to honor her inner child, never losing sight of her and always listening to her. And, how, in the flow of her life, she comes to embody the adult version of that little girl.

We also talk about the value of being grounded, and, more than that, being grounded in reality. Jane Lee shares how keeping the farm going reacquainted her with the reality of life - no matter how bad your night was, the animals have to be fed the next morning.

Her story is interesting, compelling, and filled with nuggets of wisdom.

Enjoy!

Thanks in Advance for your help:

I hope you enjoy this episode. If you did, don't keep it a secret! Please tell a friend. Your recommendation is the most powerful way to help us acquire new listeners.

Also, if you're listening to us on Apple podcasts, please rate and review us.

Resources and Show Links:

Apple Hill Farms

Website: Apple Hill Farm: https://AppleHillFarmNC.com

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

Instagram: @applehhillfarmnc

Jane Lee Rankin

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jane.l.rankin.1

Instagram: @janeleerankin 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-lee-rankin

Suggestions for future episodes:

Have someone you want me to interview (including you)? Email me at [email protected].

Have a topic you'd like for me to discuss? Email me at [email protected].

Email me: [email protected]

My coaching website: https://beckyberrycoach.com 

Thanks again for listening!

In this Friendship Season episode of She's Not Done Yet: Conversations with women over 50, I (Becky Berry) talk with Lisa McGuire about the importance of our female friendships over time.

Like so many entrepreneurs, Lisa and I met at various networking events in our local area. I've always admired Lisa's communication skills and her approach to business and life and I enjoy reading her LinkedIn posts and newsletter.

She is a business coach who is strategic, savvy, and compassionate. She works with professional service providers and helps them understand who they are, how to show up, and what to say when they do.

Lisa is also a mom and a grandmother.

In this episode, Lisa and I talk about the value of friends who drop everything to see you when you're in town. The importance of nurturing your friends regardless of their or your stage in life.

She also draws a parallel between being a female entrepreneur and a mom. For female entrepreneurs, our businesses are our babies, and they go through the same growing up process as our children.

Lisa also has her own podcast: "Your Passion, Purpose, and Personal Brand." It's on all the podcasting platforms.

Thanks in Advance for your help:

I hope you enjoy this episode. If you did, don't keep it a secret! Please tell a friend. Your recommendation is the most powerful way to help us acquire new listeners.

Also, if you're listening to us on Apple podcasts, please rate and review us.

Suggestions for future episodes:

Have someone you want me to interview (including you)? Email me at [email protected].

Have a topic you'd like for me to discuss? Email me at [email protected].

Resources and Show Links:

Lisa's website: https://lisamcguire.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-mcguire/

Insta: @iamlisamcguire

X (Twitter): @iamlisamcguire

Learn more about me:

My coaching website: https://beckyberrycoach.com 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/beckyberrycoach

Instagram: @beckyberrycoach

Thanks again for listening!

In this episode of She's Not Done Yet: Conversations with women over 50, I (Becky Berry) talk with my friend Amy Refeca.

Amy and I met in 2019 while networking. Amy is the owner and managing attorney of Atlanta Wills and Trusts Law Group in Alpharetta, Georgia. Her firm helps women protect who and what they love the most. 

We talk about how great it is to meet professionally and then become personal friends. 

We cover the importance of friends who help us maintain our boundaries and how our friend groups change throughout our lives. We also touch on how realizing we have the wrong friends helps us keep on our toes, looking for people who are a fit with us.

Amy shares her experience from 20+ years ago, when, as a new mother, she returned to her work in a "big law firm" a mere 4 weeks after giving birth. She was exhausted and had zero energy for making friends. One of her work friends at the firm stepped up and helped her figure out how to handle that high stress job and a new baby. Amy notes that her friend, who has become one of her ride-or-dies, is not a parent.

Which, of course, led to talking about the advantage of having friends with different life experiences who bring a richness and perspective to our relationships. We both believe this is particularly important for moms with young children because we know how easy it is to find ourselves in the parenting tunnel.  

Perhaps my favorite part of our chat happened when Amy shared that some of her most important friends weren't traditional friends. They were the women who hosted the podcasts and wrote the books she listened to as she shopped or watched a sporting event. When she ran out of energy and it was just too much to even consider talking to anyone, she relied on those voices in her earbuds. They became the voices in her head (this will be a podcast topic!).

Amy talks about feeling like a crone most of her life. So, now that she's entering her 50's, she feels like she's coming home. And, as the wisest crones know, as we age, we get to forgive ourselves for beating ourselves up about things like not having enough friends. We realize that we did the best we could at the time and survived to tell the story.

And that right there is why I created this podcast: To share the wisdom of women over 50, and to reassure our younger listeners that life is not about the mistakes we've made, it's about weaving them into our stories as powerful examples of how we've grown.

Thanks in Advance for your help:

I hope you enjoy this episode. If you did, don't keep it a secret! Please tell a friend. Your recommendation is the most powerful way to help us acquire new listeners.

Also, if you're listening to us on Apple podcasts, please rate and review us.

Suggestions for future episodes:

Have someone you want me to interview (including you) or a topic you'd like us to cover? Email me at [email protected].

Resources and Show Links:

Atlanta Wills & Trust Law Group: https://atlantawillsandtrusts.com/

Amy's Social: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/refecas.refecas (personal)

https://www.facebook.com/atlwillsandtrustslawgroup (business)

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amyrefeca/ (personal)

 https://www.instagram.com/atlwillsandtrustslawgroup/ (@atlwillsandtrustslawgroup)

X (formerly Twitter): @atlwills_trusts

Email me (Becky): [email protected]

My coaching website: https://beckyberrycoach.com 

Since I consider women's healthcare a pressing issue, this episode is longer, coming in at just under an hour. Listening to it is a worthy investment of your time.

In this episode of She's Not Done Yet: Conversations with women over 50, I (Becky Berry) talk with Susan Salenger, author of Sidelined: How Women Can Navigate a Broken Healthcare System.

Sue's publicist reached out to me about her book. Since I, like most women, understand how broken our healthcare system is in the United States, I was intrigued.

After reading Sidelined, I couldn't wait to interview Sue. In her book, she shares her research and knowledge about women's health, providing actionable strategies that can improve our health outcomes immediately. I particularly appreciated the context she created for this conversation in her chapter on how women have been regarded throughout history. It was both enlightening and disconcerting given how little has changed.

At 81, Sue serves as both a role model and inspiration.

In our conversation, Sue talks about the reluctance of many women to seek healthcare for themselves while not hesitating to obtain it for our families.

The most powerful actionable strategy she shares is writing down a numbered list of what we want to cover when we see our doctors. Taking that list (a copy for them and a copy for us) will yield a more productive appointment - particularly if the doctor sees something on that list that is of more concern than we realize.

One of my favorite parts of the book and our conversation covers the importance of getting 2nd opinions, particularly for complicated diagnoses. Sue points out that there are over 40,000 diseases and many of them have symptoms in common. She notes that it's not realistic to expect doctors to be familiar with all 40,000+ diseases, so obtaining that 2nd (or 3rd) opinion increases our chances of receiving the correct diagnosis.

She also talks about one of my particular struggles with going for that 2nd or 3rd opinion, I don't want to hurt the doctor's feelings. Which by the way, is right in line with not wanting to bother the doctor, or impose on the doctor when we're not sure what's going on with our bodies!!

SMH (smack my head)!!

It was an enlightening and educational conversation. I hope you enjoy it.

You can find Sue on her website: https://www.susansalenger.com/

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-salenger-a4a02716/

Instagram: @susansalenger

Tiktok: @grandma.gains

Thanks in Advance for your help:

I hope you enjoy this episode. If you did, don't keep it a secret! Please tell a friend. Your recommendation is the most powerful way to help us acquire new listeners.

Also, if you're listening to us on Apple podcasts, please rate and review us.

Suggestions for future episodes:

Have someone you want me to interview (including you)? Email me at [email protected].

Have a topic you'd like for me to discuss? Email me at [email protected].

My coaching website: https://beckyberrycoach.com 

Thanks again for listening!

In this episode of She's Not Done Yet: Conversations with women over 50, I (Becky Berry) talk with novelist Mary Ann Noe.

I'm excited to chat with Mary Ann because I'm an inveterate reader (150+ books/year) and I've always wanted to interview an author. Mary Ann is my first.

Mary Ann embodies the idea of She's Not Done Yet. She's in her late 70's and has published 3 books in the last 3 years. Another one will be released in October 2024. Talk about not being done yet!

In our conversation we talk about her novel, A Handful of Pearls and her newest release, Water the Color of Slate plus her other novels in process. 

One of my favorite parts of our conversation occurred when Mary Ann shared how her mom gave her the first sentence in A Handful of Pearls - it's an attention-grabbing sentence!

We also cover her writing process, her writing group, and, in general, the business of writing.

Water the Color of Slate was released in October 2023 at a launch party hosted by Tricia's Troops, a local Southeast Wisconsin non-profit organization that supports people with cancer. Mary Ann is a breast cancer thriver.

Stay tuned for more books from Mary Ann. Her murder mystery, Deserving of Murder, will be published in October 2024. It's part one of a trilogy.

You can find Mary Ann's books at independent bookstores, on Amazon (including Kindle), and at Barnes & Noble online.

I'm going to invite Mary Ann back to talk about Deserving of Murder when it's published. 

Thanks in Advance for your help:

I hope you enjoy this episode. If you did, don't keep it a secret! Please tell a friend. Your recommendation is the most powerful way to help us acquire new listeners.

Also, if you're listening to us on Apple podcasts, please rate and review us.

Suggestions for future episodes:

Have someone you want me to interview (including you)? Email me at [email protected].

Have a topic you'd like for me to discuss? Email me at [email protected].

Resources and Show Links:

Mary Ann's blog: www.maryannnoe.com

Tricia's Troops: https://triciastroops.org/ 

Email me: [email protected]

My coaching website: https://beckyberrycoach.com 

Thanks again for listening!

Becky

In this episode of She's Not Done Yet: Conversations with women over 50, I (Becky Berry) talk with my friend, Cheryl Cooper, and her friend, Kisha Solomon.

Cheryl and I met when we started our coaching businesses back in 2015/2016. We've been each others' orbit ever since. This was my first time meeting Kisha.

Cheryl and Kisha represent a cross-generational friendship, like me and my friend Kyle (Season 3 Episode 1).

Cheryl is one of the most grounded, motivated, and intentional women I know. Her deep experience in life and work makes her a fabulous coach and great friend. Plus, she has a great sense of humor and knows all the best places to eat! 

I loved getting to know Kisha through this interview. Like Cheryl, she's grounded, motivated, and so intentional. I also love her energy and sense of humor!

In this episode Cheryl, Kisha, and I and I talk about making friends at work, acquiring mentors, and how those friendships both lift us up and inform how we move forward.

Some notable moments:

• Being a black woman in corporate America and how to survive and even thrive (spoiler alert - it's about friendships!).
• A conversation about the importance of relationships - other than romantic ones!
• How it feels to come back together after not seeing people for a while.
• Being a role model for intentionally single women.
• How our friends reflect us back to ourselves - as we could be.
• One of the best things in the best friendships is the validation of our self worth we receive from those friends.
• A chat about the value of the complementary points-of-view we can encounter in cross -generational friendships - particularly around entrepreneurship.

Thanks in Advance for your help:

I hope you enjoy this episode. If you did, don't keep it a secret! Please tell a friend. Your recommendation is the most powerful way to help us acquire new listeners.

Also, if you're listening to us on Apple podcasts, please rate and review us.

Suggestions for future episodes:

Have someone you want me to interview (including you)? Email me at [email protected].

Have a topic you'd like for me to discuss? Email me at [email protected].

Resources and Show Links:

To get in touch with Cheryl Cooper:

Website: https://thecherylcooper.com

Email: [email protected]

Insta: @thecherylcooper

Facebook: thecherylcooper

LinkedIn: thecherylcooper

To get in touch with Kisha Solomon:

Website: https://kishasolomon.com

Insta: @kishasolomon

Email me: [email protected]

MAD! Workspace for Women in Alpharetta GA (where we record): https://madworkspace.co

My coaching website: https://beckyberrycoach.com 

Thanks again for listening!

In this episode of She's Not Done Yet: Conversations with women over 50, I (Becky Berry) talk with my friend Aisha Flores.

Aisha and I met through her husband Dan, who was my coach a while back. Aisha became a client as she moved through defining and pursuing a new career in Public Health. 

We laugh at this now, but the first time I read Aisha's résumé, it was so bad that I lost it. To this day, it remains the résumé that most poorly represents the power and experience of its subject. 

Aisha is brilliant, she's the definition of self-motivated, she's a mom, a grandmom, and a wife, and she's also the definition of introvert.

As you listen to the podcast, you'll notice she's hesitant to talk about herself, but when she talks about her passions, she's eloquent. To me, this is the mark of a true introvert. 

In this episode Aisha and I talk about friendships that go back to preschool, how our friendships change as our lives change, and how friendships can pull us from the deep end of being overwhelmed by our lives.

Thanks in Advance for your help:

I hope you enjoy this episode. If you did, don't keep it a secret! Please tell a friend. Your recommendation is the most powerful way to help us acquire new listeners.

Also, if you're listening to us on Apple podcasts, please rate and review us.

Suggestions for future episodes:

Have someone you want me to interview (including you)? Email me at [email protected].

Have a topic you'd like for me to discuss? Email me at [email protected].

Resources and Show Links:

THE Book on introverts: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in A World That Can't Quit Talking by Susan Cain

Buttercup Steam Camp: https://www.buttercupsteam.io/

Buttercup Steam Social: 

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

Instagram: @buttercupsteam

X (formerly Twitter): @buttercupsteam

Email me: [email protected]

MAD! Workspace for Women in Alpharetta GA (where we record): https://madworkspace.co

My coaching website: https://beckyberrycoach.com