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My guest this week is Poorna Bell, an award-winning author, journalist, public speaker and former executive editor at the Huff Post. Her sixth book, (and fourth non-fiction book) She Wanted More, came out just last month, and shines a much-needed spotlight on the lives of women in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond, challenging the stagnation narratives that society tries to force upon us. The book explores various themes including the distinction between motherhood and otherhood, diving into the reality that women can be childfree and still live lives of purpose and meaning. 

Our conversation includes: the tragic loss of Poorna's husband Rob; how society still sees marriage as the superior path; her thoughts on the viral Vogue article, 'Is Having A Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?'; Poorna's current outlook on dating; decentering men, i.e. removing them as the focal point in our lives; the impossible standards placed on women when it comes to ageing; and Poorna's new book, She Wanted more. 

05:28 Poorna’s Story: Losing Her Husband & Rethinking the 'Life Script'

09:25 10 Years On: Grief, Healing, and Finding Joy & Peace Again

16:06 From Wife to Widow to Single: Status, Stigma, and Solo Travel

22:23 Dating Pressure

25:25 Viral Vogue article ‘Is Having A Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?’ + Why Women’s Lives Get Harder with Men

34:20 Why She Wrote ‘She Wanted More’: Aging, Reinvention, and Rejecting the Decline Narrative

38:13 Older Women Athletes & Rewriting the ‘Frailty’ Narrative

40:07 Aging as Liberation: Social Media Role Models in Their 60s

43:17 Letting Go of the Male Gaze

47:53 Desire, Menopause & the Many Realities of Midlife Sex

49:49 Heidi Clements, HRT, Money & Why Friendship Matters More Than Romance

52:54 Decentering Men: Putting Yourself Back at the Center

55:50 Are We Escaping the Patriarchy? Measuring Progress (and What’s Missing)

59:50 Dating Burnout, Quitting Drinking & Dipping a Toe Back Into Dating

01:05:12 Online Dating Reality Check: Hybrid Dating, Expectations & Efficiency

01:08:46 Final Words of Advice

Buy Poorna's book, She Wanted More: https://www.amazon.co.uk/She-Wanted-More-space-dream/dp/1785122835

Follow Poorna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poornabell/?hl=en

Follow Poorna on TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@poornabell

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And thank you so much for listening!