Midlife & Beyond Conversations

Can you really suffer from a broken heart? For author Juliet Sullivan, the answer turned out to be yes. After the traumatic death of her mother, Juliet experienced what she initially thought was a panic attack. Instead, she was diagnosed with takotsubo cardiomyopathy, commonly known as Broken Heart Syndrome, a condition she had never even heard of. In this conversation, Juliet shares what happened...

What if you reached your 60s and realised the life you’d built simply wasn’t the life you wanted to keep living? My guest this week, Carol K. McClain, did something about it. Approaching her 30th wedding anniversary, Carol realised she could potentially spend another 30 years in a marriage she no longer wanted. So she left. There wasn’t a grand plan waiting on the other side. But within a couple o...

There are some parts of women’s health that many of us were simply never taught to talk about. Pelvic floors. Vaginal dryness. Prolapse. Bladder leakage. Painful sex. Even wind. For many women of our generation, these subjects were either whispered about or dismissed as simply “women’s problems”. And perhaps that’s one reason so many women quietly put up with symptoms for years. In this episode of...

What if menopause isn’t simply something to endure – but a transition we can prepare for, work with, and perhaps even grow through? This week, I’m joined by Lisa Jedan, host of the Menopositive Podcast, for a wonderfully energising conversation about menopause, healthy ageing and the possibilities that lie on the other side of midlife. Lisa believes we need to change the menopause narrative from o...

How is your relationship with your mother? For some of us, that relationship is warm and close. For others, it is complicated, painful or marked by something that was missing. And even when we love our mothers deeply, we may still find ourselves repeating emotional patterns we don’t fully understand. In this episode, I’m joined by psychotherapist Vanessa Wallace to explore generational trauma and...

How do you feel when you open your wardrobe? For many women, particularly as our bodies and lives change in midlife, getting dressed can become surprisingly complicated. Clothes that once felt right no longer do. We can find ourselves buying more, wearing less, or simply wondering where the woman we used to recognise has gone. Midlife & Beyond with Jo Blackwell is a reader-supported publication. T...

There’s something about becoming a grandmother that is almost impossible to put into words. That first moment. That first cuddle. The first time you hear your grandchild call your special name. My guest this week, Joy Crawford , understands that feeling very well. She is the founder of What My Grandkids Call Me , a community of grandparents built around a wonderfully simple idea: celebrating the n...

Caroline Nield was 48 when she discovered she was autistic. Until then, she had spent years wondering why certain parts of life seemed harder for her than they appeared to be for other people. She rehearsed conversations before they happened. Phone calls needed preparation. Friendships could be difficult to maintain. Changes to familiar routines could feel disproportionately unsettling. And, like...

What does it really mean to plan for our health after 60 – not from a place of fear, but so that we can remain active, independent and involved in the lives we want to lead? My guest is Laura Ashforth, CEO and co-founder of Lateral, a specialist health insurer created for active people over 60. Laura explains why traditional health insurance can become increasingly expensive as we grow older, and...

What if you didn’t need to reinvent your life to make it better? My guests this week are Ann and Sal, hosts of the 1% Happier and Healthier podcast, and their philosophy is wonderfully simple: instead of setting enormous goals that quickly become overwhelming, make small, achievable changes – just 1% at a time. And they know it works because they’ve done it themselves. After meeting as neighbours...

Do you ever wake up regretting how much you drank the night before—even though, from the outside, your drinking looks perfectly “normal”? My guest, Kate Bee, is the founder of The Sober School, an online community helping women change their relationship with alcohol without shame, labels or a lifetime declaration that they will never drink again. Kate describes her own experience of feeling lost s...

Have you ever felt that something was missing—and wondered whether changing direction would finally make you happy? Ulrika Torquato left a career in medicine to pursue her dream of becoming a singer. But even after making that enormous change, the happiness she expected didn’t arrive. What changed her life was a much quieter realisation: while she was caught up in her thoughts, she was missing the...

Season 8 of the Midlife & Beyond Podcast begins on Tuesday 11 August, bringing you warm, honest and sometimes moving conversations with women who have lived. Over the coming weeks, we’ll explore everything from sobriety , strength and pelvic-floor health to late-diagnosed ADHD and autism, broken hearts , grandparenthood and wild new adventures. In this short preview, I share a taste of what’s comi...

Neil Taylor helps families capture the stories, memories, and voices of their parents before it’s too late. After losing his own father to dementia, Neil realised how many stories had gone unrecorded – and how quickly voices and memories can fade. In this conversation, we talk about ageing, grief, family connection, regret, memory, and why older people so often feel unseen . We also explore how un...

Why are women over 50 being overlooked at work? In this episode, Jo Blackwell and Celine Egan explore ageism, menopause, confidence, and why “second half women” may be among the most valuable hires. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com

Midlife parenting, letting go, and confidence. A thoughtful conversation on supporting adult children without holding them back, and rediscovering your own life beyond motherhood. You can find Randi here: https://www.randicrawfordcoaching.com/ And if this conversation resonates, my book Ageing Wonderfully Well: The Good News About Midlife and Growing Older explores many of these themes around iden...

Menopause, hormones, and women’s health are often misunderstood. In this episode, I’m joined by Kate Magic , author of The Empowered Woman . We talk about perimenopause, post-menopause, the limits of modern wellness advice, and why this stage of life can be a powerful turning point for women over 50. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access t...

Why diets fail women over 50 and what actually works instead. A practical, empowering conversation about food, energy, inflammation, and sustainable health in midlife. Connect with Sue Ellar here: https://sueellar.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com

Planning for ageing, dementia, and independence. A practical, honest conversation about caring for parents, early warning signs, and preparing for later life. Connect with Vicki on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AgingOnYourTerms This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com

Flourishing as we age means letting go of identity, ambition, and constant doing. In this conversation, Jo Blackwell and Laura Davis explore ageing, creativity, illness, and how slowing down can lead to greater freedom, joy, and meaning after 60. Find Laura here: https://lauradavis.net/ And her book, The Burning Light of Two Stars can be found on Amazon This is a public episode. If you would like...

Is it possible to start a successful business after 50? In this episode, Jo Blackwell speaks with Janis Doherty, who launched a creative venture in her late fifties after breast cancer and the pandemic prompted her to rethink what came next. What began as a small experiment making garden gnomes has grown into a thriving local business running creative events across her community. Gnome and Garden...

In this reflective episode, Jo Blackwell shares 10 things she quit after 60 that made life calmer, lighter and happier. From letting go of constant usefulness and external validation to trusting intuition and releasing the need to control everything, this conversation explores the quiet freedom that often arrives in later life. If you’re navigating midlife, ageing, identity shifts or life after 50...

In this episode, Jo Blackwell talks with marketing mentor Kaye King , who trained as a swimming instructor at age 61. They discuss learning new skills later in life, overcoming self-doubt, the benefits of open-water swimming, and why it’s never too late to start something new. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit...

When the world feels chaotic, our instinct is often to rush in and try to fix everything . But what if the most powerful role we can play is simply to remain steady? In this reflective episode, Jo Blackwell shares the story of a ship caught in a storm and the lighthouse that guided it home, exploring how calm wisdom, emotional regulation, and quiet leadership can help us support others without los...

Midlife transformation rarely follows a tidy plan. In this conversation, Jo Blackwell talks with Karen Skidmore about leaving a 21-year career, navigating the “messy middle” of menopause and identity change, and learning to trust the unexpected paths that open when we finally let go. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes,...