Twisting the Plot

Who we are and what we know about ourselves can turn on a dime.   On today's Twisting the Plot Podcast, we talk to Kathleen Shea Kirstein who shares a personal plot twist.   At the age of 49, Kathleen makes a startling discovery. She learns, in accidental and unexpected fashion, that she was not actually born to her beloved parents.   She was adopted.   This changes everything.   Now, at 63, Kathl...

Cecilia loves a good New Year's resolution or twenty.   She starts her new year off with several notebooks and charts, making vows and setting plans. Hannah's given up resolutions since most of hers have historically been linked to self-improvement with a negative underlying theme of "not good enough." But she still expects to grow, and she does have goals. What's the difference between a resoluti...

Hannah and Cecilia discuss the year and the feelings they shared in this twisting 2020.

If  you want to be inspired and get some clarity about what it can mean to age wisely, this is a must-listen podcast.   Chip Conley, the strategic inspiration behind Airbnb, is also a best-selling author with a new and compelling message.   According to Chip, the first half of our lives is all about accumulating.   We accumulate identities, knowledge and experience.   But in order to move fully in...

In these closing comments from three group members,   Robin Snow shares her metaphors and reminds us that change is an art. Jane Emmer is making paper plate awards that speak to each participant's role in supporting the group. Laura Preiser describes the Stone Soup ritual where everyone brings their own ingredients to the pot. It's been a year to remember, so much silliness, so many heartaches, lo...

Emilie Ward and Deb Yeager joined 12 in 12 2020 with specific missions and intentions.   Then, 2020 had its way with them. Emilie suffered for weeks with severe symptoms of the coronavirus.   Deb, a disaster expert, left her cozy home in New Hampshire to work in Brooklyn at the height of the coronavirus crisis in New York City. Next, both women faced job loss and financial challenges. And eventual...

A couple of years ago Therese Shechter posted a survey on Facebook that started with the sentence:   Tell me about your experience not having children .   It went viral.   Women wanted their stories to be heard. On today's podcast, we talk to Therese Shechter, award winning filmmaker and founder of the feminist production company, Trixie Films.   Therese, 58 years-old, knew about her preference to...

Join us for another conversation with two of our 12 in 12 members.     Lauri Landry and Stephanie Omens talk about finding their voice and speaking their truth.   They discuss the cost of holding secrets and share the shame and confusion that secrets breed.   Lauri shares tells us how her 12 in 12 project transformed over the course of the year, starting as a verbatim theatre project about resilie...

We were thrilled to sit down virtually with David Stewart, founder of AGEIST.   AGEIST is a platform that offers research, advise and inspiration for an over-50 lifestyle that is cutting edge and emerging.   David Stewart likes to say that AGEIST offers options. We loved this conversation with David.   He's smart, fun and engaging.   And yes, he's a man.   He has something to say about that too. T...

Dr. Leslie M. Faerstein and La-Verna Fountain didn't get the memo that it's time to go invisible.   Instead, they decided that being a woman in her 60's and 70's means it's time to speak up, have influence and inspire change. They call themselves thought leaders.   And we would agree. Leslie works intergenerationally to help women take charge of their body image and regain embodied power.   La-Ver...

We are, like you, struggling with anticipation, fear and uncertainty today. We are also psychotherapists and have some tips to help us all get through. Take a listen to today's podcast.   We hope it helps. And then join our Facebook group, Plot Twisters, and share with us how you will survive this twister day.

A couple of years ago we attended a Next Tribe Event in NYC.   The title for the evening was "Screw Invisibility," and it was a gathering for women over 40.   When we entered the loft space we were blown away.   The room was packed.   Filled.   Brimming with women in their 40's, 50's 60's and 70's.   The energy was electric.   The messages from the speakers were inspiring and motivating.   It was...

Marianne Franzese and Maria Dintino, members of Twisting the Plot's 12 in 12 2020, believe in the magic of transformation.   They also know that change is hard work.   Despite plot twists that have come their way, both Marianne and Maria are committed to the evolution of their future selves.   Now they are ready to guide the rest of us along our way. Maria will be teaching us how to reawaken our c...

We invited Noreen Sumpter to join our Facebook group, Plot Twisters , a gathering for women over 50 to share, discuss and diversify the trajectory for all of us.   Before she joined, Noreen reached out with a question about plot twisters.   Are there black, brown and women of color represented in this group? Reflexively, our response was, "of course."   But then, we stepped back and got curious.  ...

Sydney Price and Laura Dintino joined our 12 in 12 program in January 2020 with one major thing in common:   they were both still in the middle of big time plot twists.   Each of them was navigating a messy divorce.   Both were trying to find ways to work and support themselves and their children on their own.   Laura needed to sell her house and move.   Sydney was closing down her business and tr...

Mary Ellen (ME) Macri may be a sixty-year old math teacher, but she's not old school. ME talks about how the twist of Covid 19 may have changed everything, yet didn't change enough.   Perhaps the opportunity to rethink and explore new ways of learning is hindered by adherence to tradition in education.   It's possible we may have missed an opportunity to better prepare children for our ever-changi...

London's Rachel Lankester calls herself the Magnificent Midlife Mentor.   She is the founder of The Magnificent Midlife Movement, an online hub and global community celebrating and inspiring women over 40 to live the lives that they really want.   This week we bring Rachel back to the Twisting the Plot Podcast to talk about her program, Who Am I Now?   Rachel shares her thoughts about what women i...

In 2018, Britain's Wunderman Thompson Innovation Group put forth the notion of The Elastic Generation. Elastic Generation women are living according to how they feel rather than how they ought, whether that means divorcing or dating, travelling or starting a business. As decision-makers, entrepreneurs, caregivers and creators, Elastic Generation women continue to push the boundaries and upend the...

This week we sat down with a true powerhouse, Indrani Goradia.   Indrani is a philanthropist and advocate for women's health and empowerment.  As a victim of severe childhood abuse, she created Indrani's Light Foundation, an organization committed to caring for survivors of domestic violence.  Her mission is to stop generational abuse and empower women to change their lives .   With her warmth, hu...

This week ,   we   had the distinct pleasure to speak with Ashton   Applewhite , activist and author of   This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism .   In this podcast, we engage in a conscious ness   raising   conversation   about   aging and   the other implicit  biases in our culture .     Applewhite   asserts:  "When we work against any form of oppression, we chip away at the fear and ignor...

Today we take a break from coronavirus and talk instead about: Menopause. Jeanne Chung's career experience has ranged from engineer to investment banker to yoga instructor and wellness entrepreneur.  But when she encountered a painful side effect of menopause, she discovered that the medical community had no answers for her, and so she found her next purpose.  Jeanne took her love of science, know...

Twisting the plot is about dreaming big, having faith, and knowing your truth.  This week, we had the great pleasure to sit down with the multi-talented Mary Testa; actress, singer, and three-time Tony Award nominee.  Turning 65 this year, Mary asks, what's next?  She wonders, how big can a woman in her 60's dream?  Is it possible to create a narrative that is bigger than what you are?  We look fo...

What is Intersectionality? And why is it important? We learn from Britton Williams about social-cultural identity, biases and how our multiple identities influence the way we age. Britton is an educator, a creative arts therapist and a writer. She is willing to enter these conversations with openness and curiosity. She is also a wonderful storyteller. So much fun, and so much wisdom. Enjoy. http:/...

Amid the lockdown, hanging out on her stoop, Marj Kleinman had a realization.  Stoops are where people sit, talk, and share stories and they are a perfect six feet from top to bottom. So Marj created Stoop Stories , a community portrait project documenting how Brooklynites are coping with the Coronavirus pandemic and racial injustice.  Marj, photographer, award winning children's content producer,...

Did you know that you have a story?   Do you realize that your story is fluid, complex, and even inspirational? Bella tells the story of her trauma.  She tells it over and over again.  It was a story of abuse, pain, and helplessness.  And the story always ended with Bella on the floor.   Until Hannah asked her this question: "What happens next?" Psychologists, anthropologists, and scientists all a...