A Podcast to inspire and motivate women in midlife! Let's Calm the Chaos in our lives so we can go after our purpose and passion!
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It was a total pleasure to speak with Deborah. She’s a wonderful and well-informed interviewer who drew out the ideas from my book through her insightful questions that would most help women in mid-life. The resulting interview was informative and fun.
About:
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Ann Richardson is a writer who believes that life is full of serendipity, which makes it more fun. Ann Richardson’s recent book, The Granny who Stands on Her Head, comprises a series of reflections on growing older but also includes some stories from her life. She has written numerous other books, including one about the people who provide hospice care and one about being a grandmother. Ann was born in Washington, D.C., USA, grew up in New York City and has lived with her husband in London, England since 1968. Ann and her husband have two grown-up children and two grandsons.
When she needed to find part-time work when her first child was a baby, Ann discovered a love of qualitative social research. Although she has loved writing ever since childhood, she never thought of trying to become a writer when she was young, because she felt she did not have enough to say. She also needed to support her husband, while he was doing a PhD. Much later, she gained a PhD herself.
Her career in research involved interviews and focus groups with a wide spectrum of situations and people, including people with learning difficulties and carers for the elderly but also many others. She wrote numerous books and articles from her research and was always recognised as a good writer. Since retiring, she has chosen to write books on new topics as set out below.
This episode is definitely one for the books, especially for those people in the latter years of their lives, beginning to reflect both on their current lives and the coming of the end of life. Ann likes to think about the what ifs in life.
Ann shared these amazing points in this episode!
- The story behind the three books she created before The Granny who Stands on Her Head
- Wise Before Their Time: Ann became close friends with a man with AIDS who was organizing a conference of people with AIDS; she carried out interviews there and put these together into this book.
- Life in a Hospice: Ann worked in a hospice as a volunteer and realized how strange it was to look after people who were dying. She carried out a series of interviews with people working in hospice care about the nature of their work and its impact on their lives.
- Celebrating Grandmothers: After she became a grandmother herself, Ann thought it was so interesting that she decided to undertake a series of interviews with grandmothers about the positive and negative aspects of their lives.
- Ann was asked to write a series of blogs about grandmothers and other matters for an online women’s magazine. While doing these, she started her journey in writing The Granny who Stands on Her Head.
This is about the nature of being old:
Links:
Connect with Ann Richardson
Buy Ann’s The Granny who Stands on Her Head here
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take the Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
About:
Dami Roelse is a certified life coach, writer, and retired mental health provider. Born in Holland, Dami has traveled the world extensively, lived on different continents, and has learned to use her travel as inspiration for living. As she entered the 3rd phase of life Dami lost her life partner. She went for a long walk in the Himalayas to escape the reality of life without her life partner. This trek in a desolate wilderness at a high altitude gave her back her sense of belonging. You can read about Dami’s spiritual quest and trek in the Himalayas in her book: “Fly Free, a memoir of love, loss, and walking the path”.
Since then Dami uses long-distance hiking and backpacking as a means to deepen her connection with nature and the universe.
Her book, “Walking Gone Wild, How to lose your age on the trail”, explores and explains walking, hiking, and backpacking as a means of re-invigorating life for women as they age. Interlaced with stories of real women who have built confidence through walking, it presents a new model of aging with vitality, grace, and a deepened connection to life.
Aside from trekking in the Himalayas and Morocco, walking and hiking in Europe, Dami has hiked more than 2500 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail in the last 9 years. Dami writes about the benefits of walking, hiking, and backpacking for women50plus.
Dami shares the following
Dami didn’t start walking serious distances until the age of 65! For her 65th birthday, Dami decided to “do something big” like walk a length of the Pacific Crest Trail in Oregon which is the state she lived in at the time.
This summer 2022, Dami finished the last piece of the Pacific Crest Trail, 2,650 miles! The entire journey took ten years and in the last stretch this summer she completed 180 miles at 75 years young!
At the beginning of her journey, Dami had lost her husband and felt a bit disoriented and was wondering “who am I” and “what am I doing with my life”. She was close to retirement. The trail gave her time to think and it was out on the trail that she discovered who she was. She felt connected when she was out in nature. For Dami, she found her place amongst the old-growth trees.
Dami says that her purpose is not to hike long distances but to really know herself and increase her awareness. It’s also to share the possibility of how to do that with other people, especially women. She enjoys coaching women on their “third phase of life”. Through posting her travels within her Facebook group and website Dami has been an inspiration for women of all ages to do the same!
When we get older we get set in our ways and it often becomes difficult to get out of our comfort zone and try new things. Dami encourages us to go where we fear to live. She shares how she was afraid of the desert and how a walk helped her to conquer that fear. Break what you are fearful of and try it in smaller bite-size pieces to get a sense of what to expect and build your self-confidence!
Dami’s book, Walking Gone Wild, shared stories about women who started walking and what it did for them in their journey. She shares their stories and their “why” for walking.
Walking Women Fifty Plus Facebook group has over 3000 followers who are sharing their stories and offering encouragement and tips!
Dami shares some of her favorite hikes and the advantages of using walking poles.
We leave you with a great challenge! Tune in for details.
Links:
Connect with Dami Roelse
Connect with Walking Women 50 Plus Facebook Group
Dami’s Books
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
About:
Tracy McCubbin is the author of Making Space, Clutter Free: The Last Book On Decluttering You’ll Ever Need (June 4th, 2019). She has always referred to herself as “Obsessive Compulsive Delightful,” but who knew she could turn that trait into a booming business? While working for a major television director in Los Angeles, Tracy discovered she had the ability to see through any mess and clearly envision a clutter-free space. Coupled with keen time-management and organizational skills, Tracy soon found more and more people were asking her for help. Before she knew it, dClutterfly was born.
Ten years and thousands of clients later, dClutterfly is Los Angeles’ premier organizing and decluttering company. Tracy is a regularly featured expert on Hallmark’s Home & Family, has a column on MindBodyGreen, and has regular declutter segments on Fox 5 and ABC Eyewitness News, KTLA Morning Show, KCAL9, and Good Day Sacramento. She and her company have also been featured in Real Simple, Women’s Day, and ShopSmart.
When not decluttering, she is the proud Co-Executive Director of OneKid OneWorld, a non-profit building strong educational foundations for children in impoverished communities throughout Kenya and Central America.
She lives in Los Angeles and knows where her keys are.
In my discussion with Tracy, we discuss the following
Tracy didn’t start dClutterfly until she was in her forties! It’s never too late to discover your passion!
The Book, Making Space, Clutter Free: The Last Decluttering book you’ll ever need focuses on the seven emotional clutter blocks and why we feel stuck with our stuff! Tracy shares ways to break free from these emotional clutter blocks!
After her first book, Tracy noticed that even after getting a space organized people were still bringing in “stuff” to their spaces. There is this hole that is inside of us, something missing that we are needing to fill and unfortunately for most, we fill with things. She then wrote the book, Make Space for Happiness which focuses on our clutter magnets!
The shopping and the stuff is not making us happier.
How can we make space for happiness? We discuss that first step!
Tracy shares the first steps in working with a client in organizing and decluttering their space! Words of wisdom that you too can incorporate when you are taking those first steps!
Decluttering is an emotional process and Tracy shares how to move past the emotion so you can feel the lift of having a clutter-free space. For items you have been gifted from a relative it’s important to realize that someone else’s history is not your history. Do you use it? Love it? If not then it’s time to pass it on to someone who will use and appreciate it!
We discuss inspirational stories to get you motivated to tackle your space!
Tracy shares her Senior Downsizing checklist and shares some of her top tips!
Are you ready for Tracy’s challenge today? Give a listen!
Links:
Connect with Tracy McCubbin
Purchase Tracy’s Books here
Grab the Senior Downsizing Checklist
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
About:
Kurt Leichty is an Air Force combat veteran and former Police Officer. He has taken his training and experience from both of those worlds to create a fitness program for military members, cops, and firefighters. His certification is from the National Strength and Conditioning Association and is specifically designed for him to focus on these special populations of tactical athletes. He uses the same training for our heroes that he does for the public. This year, or early in 2023, Kurt will be opening a non-profit gym called MetaFit where the public can come train side by side with the heroes and learn to train like the heroes.
I personally work with Kurt and he was able to help me build my confidence in the gym to lift free weights and tackle those intimidating machines! Kurt is the real deal and works with clients both in person and virtually. If you are on the fence about strength training, I encourage you to reach out to Kurt for support and motivation! I have definitely noticed a difference in my overall strength when in the garden, swimming, or riding my bike!
Here is what Kurt has to share in this episode!
It’s important to lift heavy and be consistent to get results
Women lifting heavy is the most efficient way to lose weight, burn more calories, and tone your body!
Lifting heavy can help with muscle strength and bone density. As we age, this is a big concern because if we were to fall later in life we need bone density to heal!
Building muscle will cushion your bones so if you do fall, your bones are better protected from a potential break.
Kurt shares his journey and what inspired him to begin working with people and how he feels he is promoting goodness in the world.
When people focus on fitness and health then they are more positive, and happier, and feel that they can accomplish more and go after their dreams!
Kurt shares that in your strength training journey, by month two you will start to feel the difference in your strength, by month three you will see the difference in your body, and by month four, people will start noticing that something is different about you!
Why it’s important to lift every day and how to rotate your strength training to accomplish this goal.
It’s important for Kurt to have a nonprofit organization where the general public, police officers, and military members can work out together.
How to spice up your lifting program so it doesn’t become dull
How you can get your feet wet with your own routine by following Kurt on Instagram where he encourages and shares exercises for you to try! All of Kurt’s links are in the show notes.
Why it’s important to overestimate the amount of support you will need to accomplish your fitness goal and rally those around you to help, including your personal trainer.
The investment you make for personal training with Kurt goes back into the programs and the building for the community in Utah.
Links:
Follow Kurt Liechty on Instagram
Check out MetaFit
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
About:
Tania Vasallo is the founder of The Courage To Be Happy, a global community of high-achieving women entrepreneurs working to become financially empowered and independent. She also hosts Increase Your Income and Impact, her signature live event to help women expand their businesses and mindsets.
Born to a Spanish father and an American mother and raised in Spain, Tania was constantly in search of freedom from a patriarchal society. She now specializes in transforming a mindset of lack to a mindset of abundance and prosperity so that her clients discover their own autonomy in their personal and financial choices. With her guidance, her last Money Magic Miracles cohort of 28 women made over one million dollars collectively in just eight weeks.
Tania lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with her husband, daughter, and multiple pets.
Tania shares her journey with money and how learning from her mistakes, she helps to empower women and work through their money mindset!
What you will learn
Take the first step in tackling your money mindset
Why it’s important to get curious about how you handle money and how things happen
What are our thoughts about money and how to shift the paradigm
What are your money “blocks”
How to advocate your power with money
Examine your beliefs surrounding money
Steps to learning more about your money!
Common mistakes that women make with money!
What is a wealth account and how can it provide you freedom with money
Grab Tania’s free guide: Women’s Top Money Mistakes! Link in the show notes.
Links:
Connect with Tania Vasallo
Grab Tania’s Free Guide: Women’s Top Money Mistakes here
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
About:
Over the past five years, Mike and Kim Barnes found themselves navigating problems they never saw coming from their parents: Alzheimer’s, pacemakers, COVID pneumonia, and the tough decision to move parents into retirement communities.
They’ve learned to balance the many facets of parenting aging parents, including medical, financial, and everyday-life decisions, emotional rollercoasters, protecting their parents from scams, and more, all while parenting their college-age kids, and building their careers.
Mike & Kim each spent 30 years on TV. Kim’s TV career includes 15 years as an award-winning reporter and news anchor and Mike’s includes 29 years as an award-winning sportscaster.
They’ve realized that so many adult children go through the same trials with their parents, yet hardly anyone talks about it. Most struggle in silence. That’s why they created a community to provide information, resources, and support.
We are all aging gracefully including our parents! Now is the perfect time to get ahead of the game and start having conversations with our parents and children about not only the legal aspects of our estate but all the other pieces of our lives that we need to know in order to transition to being an advocate for our parents!
This information doesn’t need to be a mystery! If everything is summarized in one spot then it will make the journey smoother for everyone!
Mike and Kim have created a community, Parenting Aging Parents where you can access information, resources, and a Facebook community so you are never alone.
Here is what we explore in this episode!
- Mike and Kim share their journey as they navigate these waters with their parents! You don’t know what you don’t know!
- How to balance Kids, careers, and aging parents
- Navigating these waters with their parents has ensured that they have their “ducks in a row” for their children. We can be better prepared for our children!
- What are those practical questions everyone 40+ needs to ask their aging parents?
- Make sure you are on the same page with your siblings about expectations for your parents’ well-being. This can solve a lot of miscommunication and hurt feelings going down the road.
- Besides the financial aspects do you know the passwords for the computer and bill-paying sites? If you had to step in on a moment’s notice, would you be able to pay their bills for them?
- How to protect your parents from internet scams!
- How to communicate to your parents how you are trying to help and give them a gift in helping.
- How Mike and Kim are working towards making this community to the workplace. As employees with aging parents, it’s important to be informed and be prepared so employees are not worried about “what if”. It makes for a more productive employee! Can you introduce Mike and Kim to your organization?
Where is the best place to go if you are wanting more information on helping your parents? Go to their website: https://parentingagingparents.com/ from there you can access the interviews, resources, and their handbook: The Caregiver’s Key
This information will help you to deal with the crisis at hand with your loved one and you won’t be needing to scramble with all the other details of their lives as you’ll have their booklet.
Links:
Connect with Parenting Aging Parents
Grab The Caregiver’s Key
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
