The Not Old - Better Show

Paul Vogelzang
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Dec 16, 2025 • 38min

Emotional Landscapes: Oscar-Nominated Filmmaker Pen Densham Reinvents Nature Photography

Emotional Landscapes: Oscar-Nominated Filmmaker Pen Densham Reinvents Nature Photography The Not Old Better Show, Art of Living Interview Series 🎙️ Oscar-nominated filmmaker Pen Densham is now reinventing photography — and what it means to create at any age. Listen here: https://notold-better.com 🌿 Pen Densham blends storytelling with impressionist nature photography — and reminds us that it's never too late to create. Listen now: https://notold-better.com 🎬 At 4 years old, Pen Densham rode an alligator in a short film. At 75, he's reinventing what it means to be a storyteller — not with film, but through impressionist nature photography. https://pendenshamphotography.com/ Pen is best known for producing Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Backdraft, The Outer Limits, and The Twilight Zone. But today, he's capturing landscapes like never before — using long exposures, movement, and emotion to turn still images into what he calls "visual music." In our newest episode of The Not Old Better Show, sponsored by Longevity Mitopure Gummies: The First-Ever Longevity Gummies, powered by Mitopure. A delicious, easy way to put more energy into your day! Pen opens up about the courage it takes to create after success, after loss, and after 50. From letting go of perfection to embracing creative freedom, he offers an inspiring look at what's possible when we stop asking for permission. This is a must-listen for professionals, artists, and anyone redefining their next chapter. Creativity isn't bound by age — and Pen Densham proves it. https://pendenshamphotography.com/ Longevity Gummies, powered by Mitopure, sponsor today's show — the first-ever Urolithin A gummy that's clinically proven to support strength, energy, and healthy aging — right down at the cellular level. Head to timeline.com/nob to get started. That's timeline.com/nob. Your cells will thank you. 🎧 Listen here: https://notold-better.com
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Dec 15, 2025 • 33min

Restoring Sight, Restoring Lives: The $10M Campaign to End Preventable Blindness

Vision for All: The Life-Changing Power of a Simple Donation Welcome to The Not Old Better Show, Art of Living series. Today's show is brought to you by Aura Frames. Aura Frames: the gift that brings your favorite holiday traditions and memories to life every day. 🎙️ This is our annual charitable giving show, and we're proud to announce that our 2025 giving selection is the life-changing vision restoration campaign from The Fred Hollows Foundation, supported by Causeway's $10 million matching challenge.Today, we're talking about something that affects millions—and could very well affect someone you know and love. Because around the world, more than 43 million people are blind—and the shocking truth is, nine out of ten of those cases are entirely preventable. Imagine being unable to see your grandchildren's faces… or having to stop working or reading simply because your sight failed—and no one was there to help. That's the reality in places like Ethiopia and Cambodia, where basic eye care is often out of reach. But it doesn't have to stay that way. Joining us today are two remarkable people: Andrea Galan, Executive Director of The Fred Hollows Foundation USA—one of the world's most trusted vision-restoration organizations—and Doug Heske, CEO of Causeway, whose platform is helping fuel a $10 million matching campaign to restore sight to tens of thousands. We'll hear how cataract surgeries costing less than $25 are getting people back to work, how a simple pair of eyeglasses can keep a child in school, and how every dollar you give right now can go twice as far thanks to this match. And we'll ask something simple: How can we help? This is about dignity, legacy, and action. It's about doing something measurable and meaningful—especially at the end of the year, when so many of us are thinking about how to give back. So stay tuned—this one's personal, powerful, and filled with hope. Here now is our conversation with Andrea Galan and Doug Heske. 🎙️ I'm your host, Paul Vogelzang, and this is The Not Old Better Show.
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Dec 10, 2025 • 31min

Romance After 50: Nancy Gulbrandsen Has Seen It All (And She's Naming Names)

Romance After 50: Nancy Gulbrandsen Has Seen It All (And She's Naming Names) The Not Old Better Show, Art of Living Interview Series They say love is patient, love is kind—but whoever said that clearly never used a dating app. Welcome to The Not Old Better Show, Art of Living series. Today's show is brought to you by Aura Frames. Aura Frames: the gift that brings your favorite holiday traditions and memories to life every day. I'm Paul Vogelzang, and if you've ever swiped left, swiped right, or just wanted to swipe the whole screen off the table, this episode is for you. Our guest today is Nancy Lee Gulbrandsen—a sharp, witty humorist who took one too many bad dates and turned them into a bestselling satire. Her book, Swipe Left: The Savvy Woman's Guide to Decoding Men's Dating Profiles, is part survival guide, part stand-up routine, and 100% relatable for anyone who's ever thought, "Wait… is that a fish in his profile picture?" Nancy brings a much-needed laugh to modern dating—especially for those of us dating again, or dating later, when the stakes feel higher and the bios feel shorter. From Boozy Bruce to Flatulent Floyd, her book is a guide to the red flags hiding in plain sight—and a reminder that your time, energy, and heart are far too valuable to waste on someone who "isn't ready for a relationship" but still wants to meet for drinks. We're going to talk about why the dating pool often feels like a puddle, how women over 50 are reclaiming their confidence, and why it's okay to say no, trust your gut, and most of all—laugh. So pour yourself something strong—or something sparkling—and get ready to swipe smart. Here now with wit, warmth, and way too many cautionary tales... is author Nancy Lee Gulbrandsen. Remember, Today's show is brought to you by Aura Frames. Aura Frames: the gift that brings your favorite holiday traditions and memories to life every day. 🎙️ I'm Paul Vogelzang. This is The Not Old Better Show.
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Dec 9, 2025 • 32min

Rebuilt: How John Stewart Hill Turned Pain into Purpose and Purpose into Impact

Rebuilt: How John Stewart Hill Turned Pain into Purpose and Purpose into Impact The Not Old Better Show, Art of Living Interview Series Welcome to The Not Old Better Show, Art of Living series on NOB Studios. I'm Paul Vogelzang, and today's episode is brought to you by Acorns. Acorns helps you grow towards the money goals you have today — and the ones you'll have tomorrow. …You'll be thinking about long after it ends. Imagine this: you're lying in a hospital bed. The doctors say it's bad. You've had a massive heart attack. It's 3AM. You're alone. And just when you're ready to let go... a quiet question comes to your heart: Do you want to stay, or do you want to go? Our guest today, John Stewart Hill, faced that question—and chose to stay. And thank God he did. He walked out of that hospital not just with physical damage, but with a fire in his soul. What followed was a life transformed by faith, grit, and a mission to serve others. He started The Good Contractors List—a business built on something rare these days: trust. Real trust. Backed by a $10,000 guarantee, no less. But this isn't just about business. It's about purpose. Redemption. And the idea that no matter your age, your past, or your pain—God's not done writing your story. This is a powerful one, folks. So settle in. You're going to hear about second chances, real integrity, and how one man rebuilt his heart, his life, and his legacy. You'll be thinking about long after it ends. 🎙️ I'm Paul Vogelzang. This is The Not Old Better Show, and you're going to want to hear every word.
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Dec 8, 2025 • 38min

Beating the Loneliness Epidemic: How ACE's Dr. Cedric Bryant and Dr. Sabrena Jo Help Us Add People to Our Years

Beating the Loneliness Epidemic: How ACE's Dr. Cedric Bryant and Dr. Sabrena Jo Help Us Add People to Our Years Live Long Better: Not Old Better and American Council on Exercise Today's show is brought to you by Aura Frames. Aura Frames: the gift that brings your favorite holiday traditions and memories to life every day. If I told you there was a health risk that could quietly raise your chances of early death by roughly 25 to 30 percent… and it wasn't diabetes, blood pressure, or cholesterol… you'd probably lean in. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, loneliness and social isolation increase the risk of premature death by 26% and 29%, and lacking social connection can be as dangerous as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. HHS+1 So here's the question for all of us over 60: we count our steps, we count our meds… who's helping us count our people? Welcome to Live Long Better. I'm your host, and today we're tackling the loneliness epidemic head‑on—with movement and community as the prescription Joining us are two leaders from the American Council on Exercise, or ACE. First, our ongoing member of the team, Dr. Sabrena Jo, Senior Director of Science and Education, whose work focuses on how pro‑aging, inclusive fitness and community‑based movement can turn a lonely workout into a welcoming social circle. And we're also joined by Dr. Cedric Bryant, Chief Executive Officer at ACE. Cedric spends his days at the table with organizations like the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, championing physical activity as essential public health. ACE Fitness He's authored more than 300 articles and over 40 books, holds a doctorate in physiology from Penn State—where he received the university's Distinguished Alumni Award—and he lives the ACE mission personally with regular exercise, pickleball, golf, and even coaching youth sports. ACE Fitness Cedric often says, "Some activity is better than none, and more is better than some. Every little bit counts." ACE Fitness+1 We'll talk about how that simple idea scales up—from one older adult taking a short walk with a neighbor, to ACE's 40 Forward initiative, a 40th‑anniversary effort to "shape the future of fitness together" by building more inclusive, community‑driven opportunities to move in every kind of neighborhood. ACE Fitness+2ACE Fitness+2 If your contact list has gotten smaller while your pill organizer has gotten bigger, this episode is for you. Because today, we're not just talking about adding years to your life… we're talking about adding people to your years. Stay with us—Dr. Sabrena Jo and Dr. Cedric Bryant are coming up next.
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Dec 4, 2025 • 35min

The Instability of Truth: Brainwashing, Mind Control, and Hyperpersuasion

The Instability of Truth: Brainwashing, Mind Control, and Hyperpersuasion The Not Old Better Show, Smithsonian Associates Interview Series Have you ever wondered if the thoughts you're thinking… are actually yours? Today's Smithsonian Associates conversation might just change the way you think—literally. Our guest is Harvard historian of science Rebecca Lemov, who's spent the last two decades pulling back the curtain on something most of us think we're immune to: brainwashing. But this isn't science fiction or Cold War spy stuff—though it starts there. In The Instability of Truth, Lemov takes us deep into the hidden archives of CIA experiments, cult psychology, secret black sites, and perhaps the most chilling battleground of all: the home screen on your phone. She uncovers how techniques once used in POW camps and radical political groups are now quietly running beneath our everyday lives—inside social media feeds, AI chatbots, even dating apps. Emotional engineering, hyper-persuasion, algorithmic manipulation—it's all happening, and most of us don't even know it. And here's the twist: education and intelligence don't protect you—they might even make you more vulnerable. In today's interview, Rebecca Lemov opens up not only about her research but her own story of addiction, trauma, and what it took to reclaim her mind. She also offers tools to help the rest of us do the same—and why questioning your own thoughts may be the most radical act of freedom you'll ever take. This is a gripping conversation—fascinating, unsettling, and urgently important. And it all starts now
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Dec 3, 2025 • 31min

Wrapped, Rated & Ready: Good Housekeeping's Smartest Holiday Picks

Wrapped, Rated & Ready: Good Housekeeping's Smartest Holiday Picks! The Not Old Better Show, Good Better Best Good Housekeeping Interview Series 🎁 Holiday deals are everywhere—but which ones are actually worth it? 🛍️ Today's episode is brought to you by Aura Frames, and in our latest episode of Good Better Best – Good Housekeeping, I sit down with Amanda Fama, Senior Editor for Deals & Trends at Good Housekeeping, to get the real scoop on Black Friday shopping. Amanda isn't just watching price tags—she's matching deals to products actually tested by the Good Housekeeping Institute. That's a big win for smart shoppers. 📦 From the coziest slippers to trending tech and a Stranger Things x Wrangler jacket that's turning heads, Amanda shares her insider picks—and how to avoid falling for "fake deals" in your feed. 💡 For gift-givers shopping across generations, this episode is a must-listen. Thoughtful doesn't have to mean expensive. Amanda explains how to shop with intention, stay on budget, and still surprise the people you love. 🎧 Listen to the full conversation here 👉 on Apple Podcasts: https://notoldbettershow.info/4456zJi #GoodHousekeeping #LinkedInAudio #HolidayShopping #BlackFriday #NotOldBetter #Podcast #SmartSpending #GiftIdeas #Over50Living
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Dec 1, 2025 • 48min

The Quiet Goodbye: Loving and Losing a Dog Later in Life 🐶💔

Thank you! Today's show is brought to you by Aura Frames. Aura Frames: the gift that brings your favorite holiday traditions and memories to life every day. You know, there are some goodbyes we never quite learn how to say. For those of us in life's later chapters, the love we give — and receive — from our pets often takes on a deeper, quieter meaning. They're not just animals. They're our companions in the long walks, the quiet nights, the joyful mornings. They don't judge our age, our pace, or our past. They just stay, and in so doing they combat our epidemic of loneliness according to the US Surgeon General. Today, on The Not Old Better Show – Art of Living series, we're joined by someone who recently said goodbye to their beloved dog — a companion who offered years of loyalty, humor, and comfort. It's a story many of you will know well: the unspoken rituals, the tail thumps that meet you at the door, the warmth of a furry friend who somehow senses what you need before you even speak it. And then, the silence that follows when they're gone. But this conversation isn't just about grief. It's about gratitude. It's about the meaning of companionship in older age — how a dog can fill a home, heal a heart, and remind us that we are never too old to love deeply, and be loved in return. In all transparency, I know our guest, Mike Olsen, very well. I know the family. You'll hear me mention Mike's parents, who i know well, and Mike's sons, Mike's wife Sara, all dear friends. We'll talk about Mike's dog, and pets in general. Stay with us — this one's for every listener who's ever held a paw, shared a look, or whispered goodbye through tears.
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Nov 26, 2025 • 38min

🤖🛡️ AI: Promise, Peril & Your Power — with David Eliot 🎙️

🤖🛡️ AI: Promise, Peril & Your Power — with David Eliot 🎙️ The Not Old Better Show, Technology Power Hour Interview Series Today's show is brought to you by Aura Frames. Aura Frames: the gift that brings your favorite holiday traditions and memories to life every day. 1) A story that feels both urgent and familiar. We've all seen how AI seems to appear out of nowhere—on our screens, in news, in ads, even in family group chats. The real drama isn't whether the tech will exist. It's whether we understand it well enough to shape it. That's the promise and the warning at the heart of David Eliot's new book, Artificially Intelligent: The Very Human Story of AI. Tonight's conversation crystallized that for me: the issue is human choice, not just code. 2) Why this matters right now. When a tool can transcribe decades of family letters in minutes, that's beautiful. When it can clone a voice to trick a loved one, that's frightening. The line between magic and mischief is thin, and it's drawn by how cautious, curious, and informed we are. Eliot's work reminds us there is no neutral position—only paths we actively choose. 3) Practical, not just philosophical. The best part of tonight's talk was the focus on small, concrete actions: one rule to spot scams, one conversation to have with family, one tiny habit to use AI safely. These are not lofty ideals. They're steps any of us can take this week to turn uncertainty into agency. 4) What the book offers. It isn't a tech manual, nor a doom prophecy. It's a human story that connects history, society, and individual lives—showing how AI's past, present, and future are intertwined with our choices. That perspective matters because it positions you as part of the story, not just a passive observer. David Eliot 5) A call to read, learn, act. If you want more than headlines—if you want a guide to understand what AI actually is, how it came to be, and what you can do next—this is the book to open. It's priced accessibly, and it's aimed at readers who want clarity, not confusion.
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Nov 25, 2025 • 34min

From Siberia to Storybook Stardom: Milana Anderson's Magical World of Meaning

📚 This week on The Not Old Better Show, we welcome Milana Anderson, multiple gold medal–winning author of Animal Fairy Tales and Book X, a poignant collection of love stories. Today's episode is brought to you by Longevity Gummies, powered by Mitopure Milana's 177 short stories feature unforgettable animal characters—like a boxing rhino, two feuding porcupines, and a dream-filled koala—each delivering life lessons on empathy, resilience, and transformation. These tales do more than entertain; they encourage emotional growth and spark imagination in children and adults alike. In our conversation, Milana shares how her Siberian childhood, deep love for the arts, and desire to heal through storytelling led to the creation of stories that not only educate but also emotionally soothe. Psychologists often recommend emotionally rich fairy tales for their therapeutic power—and Milana's stories truly deliver. We also talk about her next ventures: an animated film, a children's game, and new books. Her vision? To help children imagine themselves as heroes—doctors, dancers, engineers, and explorers—and for older generations to pass down these dreams through the joy of reading aloud. For educators, grandparents, and anyone who believes in the power of storytelling to connect and heal, this is a must-listen. 🎧 Listen and share: https://notold-better.com #MilanaAnderson #StorytellingMatters #EmotionalHealth #FairyTalesWithHeart #NotOldBetter #LegacyThroughLiterature #ChildrenAndGrandparents

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