The Good Batch
Each month, I gather up the best conversations with women over 40 doing remarkable things, the ideas fueling our courage, and what I can’t get enough of right now.
Hey, Uplifters!
Sorry this is late this month. It turns out writing a book and doing anything else is hard, especially when there’s so much summer fun to be had.
The last month had me surprisingly obsessed with tall ships and learning to read nautical maps (not on my bingo card). And my daughter turned 18, so we took a 3-generation outing to learn about birds.
I had ChatGPT make a photo of me with silver hair to try to figure out when it’s time to stop coloring mine, which sparked some great conversations, but I still don’t have any answers. The best advice boils down to “you do you,” which is the best advice for most things.
We went to Colorado to see the Avett Brothers at Red Rocks, and to visit Kristy and Brian Jeansonne from episode 58. Red Rocks has been on my bucket list for 20 years, so it was a real what-am-I-waiting-for moment. Planning for more of those in the next year.
And I got to take part in a table read of a wonderful new musical created by two women in their mid-70s who had never written a musical or play before. It’s a perfect illustration of the findings from a new study on aging conducted at Yale.
Nearly half of the adults over 65 that they studied improved physically, mentally, or both over time, despite the messages we’ve gotten that aging is a time of constant decline. And the people most likely to improve were those who held more positive beliefs about getting older. In other words, learning about women who are writing their first musical in their mid-70s or about Allen Levi, who spent his career as a small-town judge and lawyer before writing his breakout debut novel, Theo of Golden, in his late 60’s, might help us age more powerfully by proving that it’s possible to develop new strengths at every stage of life.
Despite feeds still filled with anti-aging messaging, a new survey from People Health found that 73% of Americans prioritize aging well over living longer. We want to stay mentally sharp, independent, mobile, and emotionally well.
If we put these pieces together, it’s clear that we all need to be spending as much time as possible with people who are doing big, brave things and showing us how we can too. Just sayin’.
Speaking of, we had our second Lift & Be Lifted meetup, and they keep getting better. Read all the wishes from our Uplifters here and reach out if there’s something you might be able to help with. And if you want to join a group of midlife women who love lifting others up while also practicing asking for and receiving support, become a paid subscriber and join us for the next one on August 25.
🎙️ On the Pod
Coming next: the incomparable Karen Salmansohn, bestselling self-help author for people who don’t read self-help, behavioral change expert, founder of NotSalmon.com, and most recently the author of a very funny and wise book on death.
Last month we talked about:
🌟 And we’ve been celebrating!
My client Dr. Kimberly Derezil, MD, creator of Meno & Money, was interviewed by Danielle Friedman for the New York Times after Danielle saw Kim speak at Uplifters Live last year. It’s a thoughtful guide for what to do if you can’t get your estrogen patch due to the shortage, so there are lots of reasons to read this one.
Karly Swaim from episode 129 set another world record. In her words: “As of today, I am the fastest woman from the USA to joggle 3 clubs for 100 meters.”
Cat McKenzie from episode 102 was featured in Canvas Rebel.
And so was I.
🏡 The Retreat is Back
We still have a few spots open for our 2026 Uplifters Winter Retreat.
We’re heading back to Red Bird House in the Catskills, a stunning wellness house created by the legendary Wendy Bosalavage and Sallie Fraenkel, both of whom you may have heard on the podcast or met at Uplifters Live.
This is our third annual winter retreat, and it has become, for those of us who’ve attended, the most meaningful weekend of the year. It’s a chance to give ourselves the real gift of rest in the hectic holiday season, to connect deeply with other Uplifters, and to launch into the new year with clarity and momentum instead of scrambling to find our footing in January.
Kristy Jeansonne, who has attended the last two years, puts it this way:
“I will never not attend this retreat. Everything I put on my vision board and the plans I make there change the entire year for my business and my life. Instead of spending the first six months trying to figure out my priorities, I launch into the year refreshed and ready to go.”
Details and registration here. Spots are limited, as always. Don’t wait.
Until next time, let’s keep chasing the good scary moments, friends.
Aransas