A Certain Age

Bestselling author Karen Dukess returns to the show to pour out a piping hot cup of mystery, murder, and Anglophile fun as we explore the pages of her genre-bending new book "Welcome to Murder Week"—a delightful mystery romp through the English countryside. Plus, we spill the tea on creative setbacks, midlife resilience, and the power of leaning into fun to unlock our best work. Karen was the first author to ever appear on A Certain Age. She returns to share a BTS of book publishing, “second novel syndrome,” and how writing a novel that didn’t sell taught her she truly is a writer. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, family dramas, and lovers of a good comeback. FOLLOW A CERTAIN AGE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ GET INBOX INSPO: Sign up for our newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AGE BOLDLY⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We share new episodes, giveaways, links we love, and midlife resources Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can midlife be a portal to our most powerful selves? What if menopause came with superpowers? In this A Certain Age bonus episode, listen in as host Katie Fogarty and author Kirsten Miller explore "The Change," a razor-sharp feminist revenge fantasy about three women who navigate the thickets of menopause and small-town murder with superpowers unlocked by midlife. Miller crafts a tale that's equal parts thriller, feminist manifesto, and pacy, page-turning magical realism—a recipe that landed "The Change" as a GMA Book Club pick. We explore how righteous anger can be alchemized into creativity and action, why women in their forties and fifties represent "the most powerful generation of women in the history of the world," and how midlife gives us a clearer vision of our gifts. Forget invisible—in "The Change," the women are powerful and completely out of f*cks to give. That is to say, they are unstoppable. This bonus episode aired on our sister show The Midlife Book Club. Find our midlife book content 24/7 on social @themidlifebookclub and on our website: www.themidlifebookclub.com.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is your birthday something to celebrate or avoid? This week, Katie explores this question with author Tamar Hurwitz-Fleming, author of “How to Have a Happy Birthday,” who reveals how to transform annual milestones from sources of dread into opportunities for joy.  "A birthday is the most powerful day of our year," says Tamar, who offers ideas for birthday rituals and reflections, to meaningful gift exchanges and epic parties. Birthdays can be more than candles on a cake—birthdays are portals for reflection, intention-setting, and celebrating how beautifully we've grown into ourselves. Embrace your next trip around the sun, beauties! FOLLOW A CERTAIN AGE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ GET INBOX INSPO: Sign up for our newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠AGE BOLDLY⁠⁠⁠⁠ We share new episodes, giveaways, links we love, and midlife resources Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all know that midlife is more fun with friends. But friendship is more than a nice-to-have—female friendships are a balm and a salve, tethering us when the roller coaster of (mid)life threatens to catapult us off the tracks. This week, Katie explores the uplifting power of friendship with Vanessa Cornell, founder of the women's community NUSHU. After experiencing her own breaking point at 35, this Harvard graduate and mother of five built what she needed—a community that lets women unmask and connect deeply. Want friendships that help you squeeze all the juice out of life? Craving relationships that accept even your "darkest, ugliest self?" Listen in for practical wisdom on friend-making, cultivating vulnerability, and why midlife is the perfect time to begin "no-regret living." Start now, beauties! Today is the day! FOLLOW A CERTAIN AGE: ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ GET INBOX INSPO: Sign up for our newsletter ⁠⁠⁠AGE BOLDLY⁠⁠⁠ We share new episodes, giveaways, links we love, and midlife resources Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn how to preserve your family's most meaningful stories with Aviva Black, founder of Family Love Letters. Discover how a heartfelt letter from her late father inspired Aviva to help others capture intergenerational connections and family history before they're lost to time. This conversation reveals practical techniques for drawing out powerful memories from loved ones, creating tangible heirlooms that transcend time. Whether you're seeking a meaningful gift for parents, hoping to preserve grandparents' wisdom, or reflecting on your own legacy, this episode offers valuable insights on creating tangible keepsakes that bridge generations and ensure family stories live on for years to come. FOLLOW A CERTAIN AGE: ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ GET INBOX INSPO: Sign up for our newsletter ⁠⁠AGE BOLDLY⁠⁠ We share new episodes, giveaways, links we love, and midlife resources Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Open up your closet, ears and mind. Style OG Stacy London is back on the show to help you toss what no longer works—from dated jeans to outdated mindsets about what it means to age. "Style is a living, breathing thing that evolves over time," says Stacy as she gives us the BTS on how she’s dressing, living, and creating anew. From reuniting with Clinton Kelly on the new show —'Wear Whatever the F You Want” — to a QVC fashion line, discover how Stacy is redefining success at 55. Forget A-list parties and external validation. Think nervous system regulation. This conversation brilliantly captures the midlife reckoning. Aging is not always easy, but GenX always comes through. Download the show and come hang out! FOLLOW A CERTAIN AGE: ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ GET INBOX INSPO: Sign up for our newsletter ⁠AGE BOLDLY⁠ We share new episodes, giveaways, links we love, and midlife resources Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reaching midlife necessitates a series of reinventions. If you are lucky, you head into your middle years with a curious, ever-blooming spirit. This week, former First Lady of Canada, longtime mental health advocate, and perennial bloomer Sophie Grégoire Trudeau joins host Katie Fogarty to explore the life’s work of building emotional wellness and her new book "Closer Together: Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other. " Learn practical tools for emotional regulation, the power of slowing down, and the "Catch, Pause, Repair" relationship framework that Sophie credits with transforming her own life. We get into mental health challenges, parenting teens, evolving romantic and platonic relationships, why self-knowledge is not a luxury but a human right.SHOW NOTES + TRANSCRIPTacertainagepod.comFOLLOW A CERTAIN AGE:InstagramFacebookLinkedInGET INBOX INSPO:Sign up for our newsletter AGE BOLDLYWe share new episodes, giveaways, links we love, and midlife resources Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover how essential amino acids could be the missing link in your midlife wellness journey. Join us as former Women's Health Editor-in-Chief Liz Plosser reveals the surprising supplement that transformed her strength, energy, and recovery after 40. You'll learn exactly how supplements like EAAs and creatine work as protein building blocks to maintain muscle, boost energy and recovery, and help you age powerfully. Hear Liz's personal journey from injury recovery to how her new protein and supplement routine changed her body composition and helped her achieve a 260-pound deadlift PR. Whether you're a fitness enthusiast or just getting started, whether you prefer strength training or yoga, this episode delivers practical nutrition wisdom and a special listener discount to help you feel stronger and more energetic tomorrow than you do today.SPECIAL KION CODE: Visit getkion.com/age for 20% offSHOW NOTES + TRANSCRIPTacertainagepod.comFOLLOW A CERTAIN AGE:InstagramFacebookLinkedInGET INBOX INSPO:Sign up for our newsletter AGE BOLDLYWe share new episodes, giveaways, links we love, and midlife resources Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Judith Joseph, a psychiatrist and mental health expert, sheds light on the often-overlooked concept of high functioning depression. She shares her transformative five-step framework for rediscovering joy amidst the chaos of success. The conversation explores the difference between joy and happiness, emphasizing the importance of reconnecting with one's innate joy. Practical tools for managing stress and navigating trauma are also discussed, providing listeners with strategies for emotional growth and resilience in their daily lives.

Craving adventure without jeopardizing your relationship? In this episode, psychotherapist Leah Fisher shares transformative insights from her memoir 'My Marriage Sabbatical,' which chronicles how her year-long solo journey at age 60 unexpectedly deepened her 30-year- marriage. You'll discover practical communication strategies, planning frameworks, and relationship wisdom that turned potential conflict into growth as Leah traveled the globe.We explore creating healthy space in long-term partnerships, honoring individual dreams while maintaining connection, and the courage it takes to reimagine midlife marriage. Listen as we unpack the lessons from a book that took 16 years to bring to life—powerful proof that midlife is ripe for both personal reinvention and renewed intimacy with your partner.SHOW NOTES + TRANSCRIPTacertainagepod.comFOLLOW A CERTAIN AGE:InstagramFacebookLinkedInGET INBOX INSPO:Sign up for our newsletter AGE BOLDLYWe share new episodes, giveaways, links we love, and midlife resources Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices