Magnificent Midlife

A solo episode with Rachel, musing about midlife and what's been happening in her world. She talks about: - How difficult it can be when we have to pivot in how we interact with our older loved ones - The beginning of her journey into studying Gerontology - What successful aging really means/ looks like - Finding strategies to cope with loss as we age - The importance of thinking creatively about how people age - Enabling people to age as they want to age - Dodgy menopause data - Challenging narratives - Recent podcasts - Learning from adversity - How to create magnificence in midlife and beyond - What you can access at magnificentmidlife.com And more! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it and leave us a 5* review on iTunes or wherever you’re listening. Order the ebook or audiobook (narrated by Rachel) versions of Rachel’s book, Magnificent Midlife: Transform Your Middle Years, Menopause And Beyond at magnificentmidlife.com/book   The paperback can be purchased on Amazon or other onli

Carolyn Birrell is the author of Walking with Fay, a moving book about her mother’s uncharted path into dementia. Carolyn’s writing began as a way to help her make sense of what was happening and quickly turned into the book she herself had needed, to provide relatable caregiving help. It’s a beautiful, empowering book and I really loved it. We talk about: - What led Carolyn to write such a personal and difficult book - Why it took so long to realize how bad things had got with her mother - The process of learning her mother had dementia and the early signs - Working out what level of interference in her mother’s affairs was appropriate - Coming to terms with realizing more help with caregiving was required - The kind of support that was needed and how Carolyn found that both for her mother and herself - Coping with a lack of recognition from her mother - The impact of the global pandemic on her mother’s care - What readers can expect from the book - Carolyn’s advice for people who fear they are starting

Dawn-Maria France is an award-winning journalist and editor-in-chief of Yorkshire Women’s Life magazine. She’s a travel writer, children's author and broadcaster, and is passionate about women’s rights, equality and diversity. We talk about: - How Dawn-Maria came to be the editor of Yorkshire Women’s Life magazine - Why Dawn-Maria is so passionate about equality and diversity - Being genuine in photographs and fighting back against retouching - Issues around mental health especially in the black and brown community - The impact of racism on mental health - Healthcare and women of colour - Finding a voice distinct from her community - The challenge and delight of writing empowering stories for children - The challenges of writing a children’s book - Being childless by choice but still choosing to write for children - Dawn-Maria’s thoughts on the current UK economic difficulties - The power that comes to women in midlife And more!   If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it and leave us a 5

Do you dream of finding your soul mate? Do you think it will be just too difficult in midlife? Listen in to Katie Philips to find out how to call in your person. Katie is the founder of The School of Self Love. She's a Women’s Empowerment Coach, Love & Dating Mentor and author of ‘The Self Love Affair - A Woman’s Guide To A Daring & Mighty Life’. Her passion and expertise is inspiring midlifers that they can create a life they love and call in the love of their life without burn-out or guilt! We talk about: - What inspired Katie to help women call in their soul mate - What life experience led Katie to what she does - Why self-love is important when it comes to dating - The secrets to calling in a soul mate - The blocks women put in front of themselves - How women can get better at finding their soul mate - The self-sabotaging beliefs women have - How to make a success of online dating - How to stay motivated when it comes to finding your soul mate And more!   If you enjoyed this episode, please

Laura Galloway is the author of Dalvi: Six Years in the Arctic Tundra. She’s a writer and communications strategist who began her career at the Los Angeles Times and holds a Master of Arts in Indigenous Journalism from the Sámi University in Kautokeino, Norway. I read about her in a magazine and just knew I had to invite her onto the podcast. Her book is gorgeous. We talk about: - The many and varied places Laura has lived and how different life is now - What the word DALVI means and why Laura wrote the book - The impetus for moving to the Arctic - The pain of Laura’s childhood - Why Laura stayed in the north after her relationship with the reindeer herder ended - How Laura assimilated into Arctic living - What Laura misses about the frozen north - What touched Laura so deeply about this part of the world - Living in endless day and endless night - How we can live more simply and why that matters - The deep friendships Laura made - Getting vulnerable about sharing one’s story and healing from that - How

Dr Liz O’Riordan is an international speaker, broadcaster and award-winning co-author of ‘The Complete Guide to Breast Cancer’. In 2015 (aged 40) she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer whilst working as a Consultant Breast Surgeon. Her life changed dramatically. She’s passionate about helping people and especially breast cancer patients. We talk about: - Why women often feel it’s their fault when they get a diagnosis of breast cancer - Liz’s concerns about HRT being positioned in the media as safe for women who’ve had breast cancer. - Why it’s important to stay curious about where information is coming from - Challenging existing narratives and what’s being said by whom - How Liz coped with having to give up her beloved career - What drove Liz to write her blog and why she stopped - Her new book and her podcast - The importance of exercise when it comes to breast cancer - Having fun with hedgehogs - The importance of crafting and sewing - Coping with her mum’s recent cancer diagnosis - What Liz mos

Hattie Voelcker went from being a barrister to retraining as a performance coach, working particularly with singers. She's so wise and inspiring! And great fun too.  We talk about: - Why Hattie made the change from barrister to performance coach - The similarities between the two professions - The beauty of transferable skills - The power of understanding people's wants, needs and vulnerabilities - How being a family law barrister helps her coaching practice now - Moving from a very high-powered career to a new and different role - How people of all levels suffer from impostor syndrome - How the real fear we feel when stepping forward is looking stupid, both for men and women - How our desire for perfection can hold us back - Vulnerability and courage as two sides of the same coin - Empathy starts with ourselves - How it's OK, in fact, normal, to be nervous when stepping forward - It's fine to be just OK and to be you, and in that is perfection - Life is an infinite series of nows - How fun is vital to l

Meet Louise Carr who healed her own midlife trauma through retraining as a nutrition consultant. She has a fascinating story to tell about how to improve our health through nutrition, but also how health issues can be changed by eliminating trauma from our lives. All driven by her own experience. Listen in for so much value about how to accept our issues, deal with them and thrive beyond them. We talk about: - How Louise retrained in nutrition in midlife to cope with her own health issues - Not accepting the doctor's narrative that health issues were age-related (at 46!) - How learning about nutrition can transform our lives - The importance of supporting our adrenal glands with nutrition - Replenishing our bodies and minds with downtime and self-care - Mixing with other age groups when retraining in midlife - How one big change can lead to many others - the domino effect - Learning to trust your gut - Coping with overwhelm and depression - Recognizing the true sources of one's stress - Realizing when on

This interview was transformational for me! I was so excited to interview Darcey Steinke, author of Flash Count Diary. I loved her book and so many of her thoughts about menopause are similar to mine. It was wonderful to find a kindred spirit whose overall impression of menopause is so positive. Darcey was the first guest to make me cry! We talk about: - Darcey's fascination with her hot flashes - How the book is about so many different things about midlife and menopause - How menopause can be a struggle but there is lots of richness to gain - Darcey's startling realizations about the menopausal transition - How Darcey managed her own menopause symptoms and what helped most - How we may be more like our pre-pubescent selves post menopause - How we may live more of our lives being infertile than fertile - The tyranny of estrogen and what it's like to finally be free of it - Fertility, menopause and the patriarchy - Appearance, visibility and the power of female friends - Calling out ageism especially at w

We're dipping into the archives again and here's another cracker of a podcast. 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. As this podcast goes live, Elaine is staring again in her one woman show at the Edinburgh Fringe. 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 more!   If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it and leave us a 5* review on iTunes or wherever you’re listening. Order the ebook or audiobook (narrated by Rachel) versions of Rachel’s book, Magnifi

Meet Dr Sonia Wright, the Midlife Sex Coach. She's also a medical doctor, radiologist and life coach, and tremendous fun. This is a brilliant interview all about midlife sex. If you have any issues at all, even tiny ones, in this department, or just want to make your sex life even better, this interview will get you feeling inspired and empowered to take excellent care of yourself and your partner. Let’s all have more fun! We talk about: How Sonia went from being a radiologist to becoming a sex coach. Understanding the pleasure gap between men and women Moving beyond penis in vagina (PIV) sex The importance of clitoral stimulation How our libido changes as we age Thinking about the many factors that may impact our libido Our biggest sexual organ is the brain Staying curious and exploring different ways to be sexual Self-pleasure to maintain the blood supply to the vulval area Feeling comfortable using lubricants Your best sexual partner is yourself The wonders of the clitoris and how much of is not visi

A solo episode from Rachel talking about menopause and gendered ageism. Rachel talks about: Why she still hasn't moved on from talking about menopause yet The importance of balance around narratives around menopause The impact of gendered ageism on menopause The hormone deficiency narrative and why it drives Rachel nuts Connecting menopause advice and money The importance of staying curious about the message and the messenger New voices in the media talking about menopause The role of HRT and how it's being promoted HRT and breast cancer Why HRT for life for most women is unnecessary The whales and the Blue Zones How data has been manipulated around menopause Menopause and suicide How some information in the public domain about menopause is plain wrong The $600 billion business opportunity of menopause And more! Rachel's blog - Menopause And Alcohol - What's Helpful To Know. Rachel's research about the 900,000 women have left work figure. Rachel's research on the correlation between menopause a

Another platinum gem from the podcast archives. Meet the very lovely Rachel Peru who went from nursery school teacher to successful curve and silver-haired model in her 40s. Rachel's waving the flag for older, more diverse women in the media. She's going from strength to strength since embracing her authentic self and stepping forward to shine. 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

Here's another gem from the podcast archives in our summer season. Ashton Applewhite is an author, speaker and anti-ageism activist. I discovered her work about six years ago and have 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. Her book is amazing: This Chair Rocks, A Manifesto Against Ageism. She's my ultimate mentor when it comes to everything I now believe about ageing and gendered 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 ou

Dipping into the archives again for another gem of 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's determined to show women there's no need to be scared of solo travel and she has loads of great tips to share. Since we recorded this, Deborah has grown her wonderful Facebook group for women over 50 who like to or dream of travelling solo to over 100k women! We talk about: 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 yours

Welcome to our summer season where I’m dipping into the archives to share some of the gems from the vault. We start by going all the way back to the beginning, to my very first guest, the wonderful Suzi Grant, author of Alternative Ageing, blogger at alternativeageing.net, YouTube and Instagram star. If anyone can inspire you to age like a badass, this woman can. Suzi is the very best example of an older woman determined to squeeze the very last drop out of life, on her own terms. We talk about: How Suzi came to set up Alternative Ageing and became an Instagram star How she was featured in the New York Times Style Section How she got 700,000 likes on Instagram The importance of staying authentic How blogging (and learning in general) helps to exercise your brain The wonders of being creative Being proactive about ageing Fasting and why it’s so good for us How chronic diseases can be helped by lifestyle change Being outrageous And more! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it and leave

My guest Alice Morrison is an adventurer. She's the Indiana Jones for girls. She's done so many things that would test anyone's endurance. The Marathon des Sables, the Tour d’Afrique, she was the first woman to walk the full length of the Draa River in Morocco where she lives. She's trekked through the Sahara and completed the Everest Trail Race. She's written several books, and the most recent is Walking With Nomads. If you’ve ever wanted to go on a big adventure, this interview is for you! We talk about: Where Alice’s love of Africa and the Middle East came from Alice’s childhood and how it went from great freedom to rigid structure Alice’s latest book and her love of expeditions What it’s like traveling as a woman in the places Alice visits How English speakers can make friends better when traveling Why Alice practices Ramadan even though she’s not Muslim What it’s like living in a rural community in Morocco Coping with fear and the problems of Covid when it comes to traveling What it’s like for Alic

This is such an inspiring conversation! Dion Johnson, known as the Womanologist, works with women leaders so they can fulfil their potential. She inspires all women to step up and lead, and is the author of Influential Woman: A fresh approach to tackling inequality and leading change at work. Dion is a no nonsense tour de force. She changed my life and I hope she may do the same to yours! We talk about: What it felt like when Dion discovered Hay House was going to publish her book Why she wrote this book How the book became about inequality How Dion has taken off her many masks throughout life The importance of taking off our masks and how Dion helps women do that Dion’s life before becoming the Womanologist What Dion means by womanity in the book How women can step up to lead The 7 habits to cultivate to be Queen Influencer The importance of faith to Dion (and lack of it to Rachel!) The prejudice often given to people of faith How Dion wants to change the world And more! Find out more about Dion:

In this episode, I welcome back Dr Kathryn Mannix to the podcast. Kathryn’s first interview was titled Talking About Death because that’s exactly what we did. Kathryn spent many years as a palliative care doctor and wrote the best-selling book With The End In Mind. Here we’re talking about her latest book Listen: How to Find the Words for Tender Conversations. This is a powerful and moving conversation which I hope you will love as much as I did. We talk about: The experience of recording Kathryn’s own audiobook Why Kathryn felt this book needed to be written after her first one What it means to have a tender conversation Why listening is so important when it comes to having these conversations How we can get better at listening The power of silence Some of the wonderful stories in the book How to have tender conversations in a professional context Moving away from trying to fix someone’s problems Some of the ways we can encourage others to open up The devastating impact of Covid on communication in a h

Jennifer Arthurton is the creator and founder of Old Chicks Know Sh*t, a community and podcast (of the same name) designed to inspire and support midlife women in chasing their dreams and creating a kick-ass next chapter. Having made her midlife course corrections, she’s a passionate advocate of the inherent power and knowledge that women possess, at a time when they often feel overlooked and doubt themselves most. We talk about: How Jennifer got so passionate about changing midlife narratives Jennifer’s own menopause and midlife experience How she reinvented herself after reaching rock bottom How so much of what we believe about midlife, menopause and aging is wrong What makes Jennifer angry about what women are told/believe about getting older How women can get very stuck in midlife and how to get unstuck How women can step up to lead more What Jennifer has learnt from doing her own podcast How Jennifer has changed the perception of midlife for her own daughter What Jennifer most wants women to know a