Zestful Aging

After a long and successful career in the corporate world, today's guest took the leap to fulfill her dream of being a filmmaker. You may remember our conversation years ago when she created "Beyond Sixty". Since then she's created "Climbing into Life", a film about the oldest woman to scale El Capitan (she is the mom of famous climber Alex Honnold). Now Melissa is back with a new project–document...

I don't know about you, but I haven't thought about my eye health that much over the years. I've been pretty lucky that I haven't had many concerns. I have begun wearing eye protection for pickleball when I learned that you can suffer from a detached retina. But it turns out, eye health is the most overlooked pillar in wellness. Did you know it directly affects energy, focus, sleep, and even mood?...

Some of us don't mind admitting that we're a little afraid of death. This week's guest says she thinks about her death 20-30 times a day. A psychologist and memoirist who has been on Zestful Aging before, Liz Scott's new book "You're Going to Die But I'm Not!" delves into all things death. Liz describes this latest book as her journey from near-terror of her mortality to near-acceptance.  https://...

When is the last time you had a belly laugh? Most of us haven't had a good laugh in recent memory. Our guest this week is Yvonne Conte who is a nationally recognized keynote speaker, bestselling author, and corporate culture expert who has spent more than 30 years studying the power of humor, laughter, and joy in the workplace. A tough childhood showed her that humor can reach people who seem unre...

My guest today is podcast royalty. She is a Podcasting Hall of Famer, Corporate Speaker & Comic and the Co-Founder of She Podcasts which started as a Facebook group and is now the largest podcast platform in the world. She's been Featured in Forbes & Entrepreneur as a visionary for women and non-binary people in the podcasting world.   I met Jessica Kupferman at PODFEST–a big podcasters convention...

You've likely spent your life caring for others and building a career, and you've done it well. But life is marching on. When is it your turn? As a psychotherapist I hear this a lot. We have been serving others for so long we don't even know what brings us joy. My guest this week is Dr. Minette Riordan and she is a powerhouse creative queen. In her earlier life she was an academic and businesswoma...

You may have noticed that getting older isn't exactly celebrated in our culture, especially if you are a woman. Because our worth is still determined by our physical appearance, aging often leads to feelings of invisibility or even worthlessness.  It can be a very difficult transition, especially for those who have received attention for their looks. We all are aware that these fears of being disc...

Who else has caught the pickleball bug? A veteran tennis player, it took me some time but now I am also smitten. Our guest stumbled upon the game after retiring from firefighting and then caregiving for both her sister and her mother. Grief and loss were softened by belonging to a new community. In addition to playing frequently she became curious about pickleball's meteoric rise, its history and...

If you've followed "Zestful Aging Podcast" you know I love nature and appreciate its healing powers. And we all seem to be needing a way to find some peace these days. This week's guest is Matthew Kessi, author of "The Wild Cure". Matthew is a writer and nature-based mentor who helps people rediscover calm, clarity, and direction by reconnecting with the natural world. After years in corporate air...

One of the joys of being a podcaster is that you can listen to a conversation about caregiving on NPR, look up the guest and invite them to guest on your show. I was thrilled when today's guest accepted my invitation. Our guest is Kat McGowan a journalist focused on caregiving. She's had first hand knowledge of the experience, having cared for both her sister in law and then her parents. She disco...

Our guest this week couldn't be more timely. With all of the strife and fear around us many are looking for some way to find comfort. Maryann Roefaro straddles the worlds of science, medicine and spirituality. In her new book "Transitions of Hope", She shares powerful insights from her decades as a healthcare leader, caregiver, and spiritual guide to show how we can replace fear with love and face...

Sky Bergman an accomplished, award-winning photographer and filmmaker. She has been particularly interested in the positive effects of intergenerational relationships having enjoyed a loving relationship with her grandmother.   Sky's newest film is about the Japanese American experience and how a particular food has provided emotional sustenance through internment.  Mochi-tsuki has long united Jap...

How delightful is this? We're in the beautiful kitchen of my next guest, because we're having a little sourdough baking lesson. I love spreading the fun of sourdough making. Those organisms are alive and well.   Kathy Okoniewski has been involved in U.S. ski racing and training for 45 years. She's been a competitor and developed programming for ski racing youth. After a long career in sports, Kath...

Sue Willoughby is a life coach with a real twist. Raised by a single alcoholic parent, Sue came out at 17, hit some serious lows, and still built a life full of grit, growth, and reinvention—from corporate trainer to standup comic, real estate investor, and private pilot. As a coach, Sue partners with horses to help her clients through their difficulties. She talks about why horses are uniquely gi...

Our guest today was on the panel of experts at WCNY's event, which showcased Bradley Cooper's film "Caregiving". Gwen Crossett is an R.N. and runs a concierge, boutique-style caregiver agency, assisting caregivers and their loved ones in navigating the challenges of elder care and progressing diseases.  Today we're going to focus on two less talked about topics: seniors and scams and how to choose...

Sometimes we accidentally come across something that changes our lives. You've heard me talk about the local creative hub I attend monthly and how sweet it is. Not long ago my friend Laraine brought in a sample of neurographic art. I thought to myself, "that is strange looking. And ugly." I'm more of a botanical zen doodler kind of gal. Then I saw something online that intrigued me–a free webinar...

Do you know what an ocularist is? Neither did I until I went to a talk by today's guest, author Dan Roche. I never would have known about Dan or his book about glass eyes unless I was friends with the illustrator of his new book: "Eyes By Hand". And it is fascinating.  In this episode, we learn about the obscure world of glass eye making and talk about the psychological and emotional healing that...

When Eleanor Hamby and Dr. Sandra Hazelip met more than 25 years ago, after becoming empty nesters and then widows, it was best friends at first sight. They never could've imagined that their relationship would propel them, in their eighties, through an around the globe adventure, or that they would go viral online and inspire people young and old across cultures. They have been known on social me...

Amanda Conta Steencken is a classically trained musician and neuroanatomist originally from Argentina who has a fascinating story about her journey into health and wellness education. Amanda was training in classical piano when she began having problems with her hands. Her health problems became too severe for her to continue in her music training. Taking a big career turn, she focused on spinal c...

Psychotherapist and author Julie Ohana combines two of my loves–psychotherapy and cooking. In fact I just pulled 2 sourdough boules out of the oven. Who bakes in summer? I do! Cooking has been a passion of Julie's since childhood. It started while baking family recipes with her grandmother, working as a prep cook while in high school and as the kitchen manager at her summer camp. As she developed...

Who else is confused about the use of cannabis, or pot, as we used to call it? And what's with all of the dispensaries opening up? Does cannabis have a place in a healthy lifestyle? Today we're going to speak with Dr. Dana Lillestol, a retired nurse practitioner whose passion is educating the modern elder on using cannabis to help with age related health concerns. Find out more at Lifeischill.com...

Part executive director, part death doula, Karisha Solomon has been helping people live—and die—with purpose. With over two decades of experience, Karisha's journey has taken her from candy-striper to nursing aide, caregiver coordinator, nursing home administrator-in-training, adjunct professor, nonprofit executive director—and now, certified death doula, gerontologist/ entrepreneur. Karisha is on...

I had the honor of speaking with Mary Homer of Oneida Nation's Wolf Clan in Upstate NY.  Mary spent 10 years dreaming of designing clothes. She wants her clothes to express "class, not trash." She loves working with velvet, although it's a difficult fabric  As a fourth-generation bead worker, she began showcasing her  beadingwolves brand at local Native craft shows, selling earrings, necklaces, bo...

Today's episode is with Meg Tobin, a Mental Health Counselor and the owner of Breathing Space Psychotherapy. Meg is an expert in mind body approaches to help regulate the nervous system. She uses EFT (Tapping), Brainspotting, Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy, and several somatic techniques to cut through the defenses we use to protect ourselves, but ultimately keep us stuck in the same old patterns...

This episode features a long time friend I met while dog walking. He definitely looked out of place in the Syracuse winter, with his shiny new cross country ski equipment, fancy tech coat and dog who looked a bit like Al Capone. My dog walking companion and I speculated that he was enrolled in the federal witness protection program and his dog, Nate, was his cell dog.  It turned out that wasn't th...