Older & Wilder

Feedback Forms, Miles Turns 11, and Unsponsored Favorites Joy and Claire share a playful marriage “feedback forms” idea and Claire’s deal with Brandon to grow her hair until her 40th birthday. They compare cleanliness habits and celebrate Miles turning 11, reflecting on how hard the early parenting years were for Claire due to postpartum depression, contrasted with how fun elementary years feel no...

A Whirlwind Portugal Work Trip, Jet Lag Adventures, and Life Updates from Moab Joy and Claire catch up on recent life events. Joy shares a whirlwind work trip to Porto, Portugal and intense jet lag despite trying the Time Shifter app. She recounts sightseeing, great Portuguese food (including egg custard pastries), a port tasting, and a late-night misadventure walking three miles back to the hotel...

Opting Out of Nutrition Insanity with EC Synkowski https://optimizemenutrition.com/podcast/agoodnutritionbook/ Joy and Claire welcome back nutrition coach EC Synkowski ( Optimize Me Nutrition) , creator of the 800 Gram Challenge and author of A Good Nutrition Book, to discuss escaping fear-based, overly optimized diet culture shaped by CrossFit, paleo, and macro tracking. EC shares her past disord...

Lindsay Lohan’s Comeback, Florida Pool Days, and Pop Culture Rabbit Holes Joy and Claire chat about October 3rd pop-culture nods and Lindsay Lohan’s comeback. They discuss Ted Lasso’s new storyline, unseasonably warm fall weather, and work updates. Claire recaps a Florida trip to Bradenton/Anna Maria Island with lots of kid pool time, a touristy date-night dinner, an aquarium visit with manatees,...

Aging Out of Fucks: Midlife Brain Shifts Joy and Claire discuss upcoming travel and Claire shares enjoying runs guided by a British-accented DJ coach, switching her weightlifting to evenings for convenience, and the great on-ear headphones review. They talk about Joy's Santa Fe anniversary trip and a Big Thief concert with incredible people-watching and praise for lead singer Adrianne Lenker’s mus...

Estate Planning Part 2: Wills, Trusts, LGBTQ Families, and Picking the Right Attorney (with Zach Anderson) Joy and Claire welcome back Zach Anderson for a Part 2 focused on listener questions. He explains how to “fire” an attorney, how attorneys may withdraw from clients, and what to look for in a divorce lawyer—especially communication, proactivity, and balancing negotiation with litigation costs...

Joy and Claire catch up after Joy’s birthday weekend, which included friends, cupcakes and IKEA closets. They discuss decluttering excess clothes and shoes and Scott’s “optimization” impulse leading him to gift Claire Shokz open-ear running headphones. Updates include a permitted Arches hike, an upcoming Santa Fe anniversary trip to see Big Thief, quick-fire Q&A on small purchases, fitness and...

Joy Turns 49, Lila's Release, and Midlife Mindset Resets On Joy’s 49th birthday episode of Older and Wilder, Joy and Claire reflect on years of podcasting, privacy in the internet age, and September nostalgia. Joy shares a major update about Lilas. They discuss the emotional toll of puppy raising, current dog life with River, Haynes, and new puppy McCoy. Joy talks about recent body dysmorphia, bal...

Zachary Anderson on Building a Queer-Affirming Nebraska Law Firm and the Estate Planning Basics Everyone Needs https://www.zandersonlaw.com/whozacharyis Joy and Claire welcome back Zachary Anderson, a law attorney in Nebraska, to discuss his firm’s rapid growth since launching in April 2025 and his recent recognition including the Nebraska State Bar Association Diversity Award, an ABA Family Law S...

Aging, Menopause at Work, and “Quiet Quitting” Marriage Joy and Claire discuss how recording video and constant self-viewing intensify anxiety about aging, prompting talk of Botox, Morpheus lasers, marionette lines, and comparing themselves to celebrities, along with a resolve to avoid escalating to fillers. Claire shares a conversation with her Spanish tutor about fiber, beans, and GLP-1 drugs, h...

Beating the Heat, Better Sleep, and Finding Your Village Joy and Claire discuss relentless August heat in Colorado/Moab, irritability, sweating, and perimenopause questions. Joy shares progress on 3:00 AM wake-ups after taking Pure Synergy’s Vital Ocean Magnesium and they talk about individualized approaches including hormones, ashwagandha, and sleep environment. They tangent to Thorne’s acquisiti...

Affirming Care, Perimenopause, and the Times We’re In (with Rebecca from Folx) On Older and Wilder, hosts Claire and Joy talk with Rebecca (Laugh Cry Club) about debunking mental-health misinformation and Rebecca’s work at Folx, a telehealth company providing affirming LGBTQIA+ healthcare, including gender-affirming hormone therapy, primary care, and mental health services. They discuss barriers a...

Tinned Fish Corner, Back-to-School Heat, and Pushing Back on the Skinny Comeback Joy and Claire catch up in August before pivoting to parenting in 105-degree heat and the chaos of changing summer camps ahead of back-to-school. They share fall anticipation and Trader Joe’s favorites, quick high-protein lunches, and considerations like mercury and wild-caught vs farmed fish. The conversation broaden...

Naps, Diet Culture, and Warming Up for Longevity Joy and Claire open by joking about short naps and then reflect on how a recent episode sparked strong listener response about diet culture’s persistence and evolution, including new medications. They discuss the CrossFit Games’ apparent production and organization issues, and how old photos from macro-counting days resurfaced, prompting a visceral...

Joy and Claire recap Claire’s trip and an Indian-Jewish wedding featuring elaborate bridal henna. They start a segment on being grateful for fitness and a “marriage hack” involving Nordstrom Anniversary Sale clothes. The conversation shifts to evolving body image, past macro-counting/CrossFit diet culture harms, and mixed feelings about GLP-1s and cosmetic fixes, plus personal body-change wishes....

Skunked Dogs, Puppy Tummy Trouble, and a Midlife Culture Check Joy and Claire share life updates from a random episode: Claire is in Colorado for the week for a friend’s wedding and a hectic round of visiting friends and kids’ friends; she and Brandon started watching and loving Ted Lasso. Back in Moab, their dog River got skunked late at night. Joy recounts taking puppy McCoy to the vet for tummy...

Fourth of July Fireworks, Red Rocks Night, and Midlife Health Check-Ins Joy and Claire recap their Fourth of July weekends: Claire traveled to Wisconsin for her in-laws’ elaborate fireworks tradition, including a 30,000-firecracker “Super String,”. Joy stayed local, enjoyed downtown Castle Rock and gelato, watched the suspense film “Obsession,” and attended Andrea Gibson’s “Love Letter From the Af...

Joy and Claire celebrate Scott’s 49th birthday and discuss Joy’s improved gift-giving, including a Lululemon gym bag Scott wanted and an engraved Ikigai modular vitamin case paired with higher-quality supplements to replace Gruns gummy vitamins, which Claire critiques for poor bioavailability and lack of transparency similar to proprietary blends like AG1. Joy shares updates on service-dog-in-trai...

Father’s Day Adventures, Wildfire Worries, and Life Updates Joey and Claire share a post–Father’s Day episode covering family outings and life updates. Claire describes a cooler La Sals climbing day near Moab with other families, kids’ backseat squabbles, and rescuing a three-legged dog. Joy updates listeners that her dad is improving after an accident, off oxygen, staying active. They also spread...

Ronnie’s Lawnmower Accident, Hospital Aftercare, and Finding Joy Online Joy and Claire discuss Joy’s Father’s Day weekend plans and a serious accident involving Joy’s 84-year-old dad who tipped a riding lawnmower. He went to the ER, was transferred to Colorado Springs, spent time in the ICU, and was diagnosed with seven fractured ribs, with scans to rule out internal complications. Joy emphasizes...

Haircuts, Rec Center Workouts, a Bozeman Concert, and Remembering Chris Moore Joy and Claire catch up on Claire's new haircut, including a subtle side undercut meant as a low-maintenance nod to her former mullet, and her small-town Moab salon experience. They discuss how making friends in a new town can hinge on community spaces. Joy commits to the rec center, explores the weight room, and embrace...

A ’90s Party, AI Anxiety, and an Unexpected Brushfire Bust Joy and Claire chat about the fast passage of time, a full moon, and Claire’s ’90s outfit for a decades-themed 40th birthday party—complete with butterfly clips, a choker and mini backpack borrowed from her daughter—sparking nostalgia about music, school routines, and teen insecurities. They discuss aging and appearance pressures amplified...

Memorial Day Plans, Jellycat Shopping, and the GLP-1 Cultural Debate Joy and Claire catch up over Memorial Day weekend, sharing family activities in Moab, recurring McDonald’s order mishaps, an e-bike picnic, paddleboarding plans, and a quick Arizona trip for a friend’s daughter’s high school graduation. They discuss the cliquey dynamics of making friends in a Utah town with a strong LDS subcultur...

Blue Otter Financial Planning: Joy and Claire welcome back Lenet Rivas to discuss her new business, Blue Otter Financial Planning, launched after a layoff and inspired by conversations at a Surf with Amigas retreat. Lenet shares her background in financial aid at Emory, then Fidelity and investment management, and explains leaving product- and target-driven models to offer flat-fee planning for pe...

Mother’s Day on the Green River, Moab Race Meetup, and Puppy Turn-In Updates Joy and Claire chat about early wake-ups, airline announcements, and pilot “too much detail” stories. They share Mother’s Day plans to float the Green River “Daily” near Moab and discuss refining their rafting boat packing system. From their Peru group chat, they float the idea of an unofficial Moab meet-up around a trail...