Sara Gilfert, 94, lives in Ohio. She comes from a family that was populated with teachers and preachers. While she began her college education in journalism, a chance workshop on fiber art caused her to change her major and she became a fiber artist and teacher. Since 2003, she has owned her own hand-paper-making studio, exclusively harvesting the white fiber from the inner bark of the mulberry tree to create art. Loss of vision and hearing has affected Sara’s ability to continue with her art. Her daughter, Susan, a librarian, encouraged her mother to join a writing group. She focuses on her own life and writes about her personal experiences. During one session she wrote about her aging cat.Previously active in community affairs, Sara continues to attend meetings when possible. Her words to younger listeners of this podcast are, “just keep moving”. She studies Pilates with an instructor 3x/week. Surrounded by family she feels supported and involved in life.“As we age, it’s important to just keep moving.”

Ashton Applewhite has been speaking out about aging and ageism for over 15 years. Her 2016 book, This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism, radicalized the present anti-ageism movement. Since then, Ashton has continued her blog, Yo, is This Ageist?, co-founded the Old School Anti-Ageism Clearinghouse, and is in high demand to speak at various venues from Ted Talks, to universities, to community centers, to the Library of Congress and the United Nations. Her numerous honors and recognitions—local, national, and world-wide-- acclaim Ashton for being inspiring, a trailblazer, an influencer, and a game-changer. Connect with Ashton:Email: ashton@thischairrrocks.comWebsite: https://thischairrocks.comBook: This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism

Connie Zweig, PhD, is a retired Jungian-oriented therapist and coauthorof Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow. Her award-winningbook, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends her work onthe Shadow into midlife and beyond and explores aging as a spiritual practice. Itwon the 2022 Gold COVR Award, the 2022 Gold Nautilus Award, the 2021American Book Fest Award, and the 2021 Best Indie Book Award for bestinspirational non-fiction. Her new book is Meeting the Shadow on the SpiritualPath: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening.Connie has been doing contemplative practices for more than 50 years. She is awife, stepmother, and grandmother. After all these roles, she’s practicing the shiftfrom role to soul. Connect with Connie:Email: conniezweig@gmail.comWebsite: https://conniezweig.comConnie’s books:The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul,Meeting the Shadow Romancing the Shadow(novel) A Moth to the Flame: The Life of Sufi Poet RumiMeeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for AwakeningThe Inner Work of Age:https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASINw/1644113406?tag=simonsayscom

Beth Truett, MDiv, BS, believes in serving. It comes naturally to her and has guided her career path over the years. Her earliest memories are of lunches with the Ladies’ Aid Society. After a lengthy corporate career where she was committed to mentoring women, she worked at Chicago Lights, then Oral Health America. Both organizations needed to reignite or start a program for older adults, and she concentrated her efforts there. Oral health is crucial to total health, influencing both diabetes and heart health. But, it is difficult for most older persons because it isn’t covered by traditional Medicare.When she retired from Oral Health America in 2019, Beth wasted no time in moving towards her interest in gerontology, receiving her gerontology degree at Concordia University. Today she serves as a consultant and project leader with the Center for Gerontology at Concordia. Beth is determined to help eliminate the implicit bias of ageism. Through the Center for Gerontology at Concordia, she is leading an initiative with  the National Center to Reframing Aging, (led by The Gerontological Society of America.) “Connecting men and women to opportunities in retirement is critical to mitigating social isolation and loneliness. - Beth TruettConnect with Beth Truett:Email: bethtruett@gmail.comVoice or Text: 708.271.2834 

Diane Valletta has moved from passion to passion throughout her life. Her mother, who died at 93, was her role model. She had a passion for activism and service. The same is true for Diane, whose desire for service has spanned her entire life. From Women Employed to NAWBO (National Association for Women Business Owners), Diane has served on numerous boards. “I’ve been invited to sit on the boards of the organizations I get involved with because they feed my desire for service. And, since my family all live in the eastern part of the United States, my fellow board members become my midwestern family.”Since leaving corporate, Diane’s main work has been to help entrepreneurs win awards, and organizations win grants, by interviewing them first, then focusing on the right words that lead to winning nominations. She also writes marketing materials and edits articles and books.“Dreams don’t become reality unless you visualize them first.”A news junkie and longtime member of Unity Chicago, Diane’s view of life is inspiring and thoughtful.Connect with Diane:Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diane-valletta-531167/

A former nun, teacher, relationship author of The Marriage Plan: How ToMarry Your Soul Mate In One Year Or Less, owner of Jordan De-Laurenti, Inc., atraining and contract management company and a small business columnist for the Dallas Times-Herald, Aggie has published numerous articles, blogs, and is author of A Woman’s Voice Should Be Heard: My Journey from the Convent to the Battle for Equality.Aggie’s life changed when, in 1967, she was offered a fellowship to the University ofNotre Dame while still a Catholic nun. The women at Notre Dame were far less conservative than she. The church was changing. The feminist movement was gaining speed. She heard a speaker who said:  “Men are the action makers, women are the receptacles.” This started her transformation and desire to make sure that women were treated as equals to men. She left the convent in her final year. Aggie’s goal is to reach daughters and granddaughters with her work. She talks with largegroups of women, urging them to get out the vote, to vote in legislators who will stop thedecline of access to abortion. At 85, Aggie is proud of her age and has no plans to stopthe work she loves.It’s women friends who will keep us going.Connect with Aggie:Website: https://www.aggiejordan.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aggie-jordan-ph-d-693b9538/Book: A Woman’s Voice Should Be Heard: My Journey from the Convent to the Battlefor Equality.

When lightning strikes, where do you go to avoid injury? If you live in the United States, you likely have easy access to a safe building or car. In fact, fewer than 20 people die annually from being struck by lightning. But for people who live in the developing world, the risks of injury or death are magnified because they do not have access to safe locations.  Dr. Mary Ann Cooper, age 74, an early pioneer in emergency medicine, is dedicated to saving lives through public education and building engineering.   She is Founder and Managing Director of African Centres for Lightning and Electromagnetics Network, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing deaths, injuries, and property damage from lightning across Africa, and is active internationally with many other lightning safety programs around the world.  Dr. Cooper emphasizes:  It is impossible to prevent lightning; WHERE you go is much less important than WHAT YOU DO, which is take action.Lightning is the most common climate threat to life across the globe. Connect with Dr. Cooper:Email: macooper@uic.edu   website: https://ACLENet.org

Sheree Clark is a Midlife Courage Coach whose varied forks-in-the-roadinclude: university administrator in student personnel; owner of anadvertising agency; TV show host; author; health coach; raw vegan chef andmore. Through her Talk Series for Midlife Women, weekly blogs, privateFacebook group for Midlife Courage Warriors, Midlife Summer School—alongwith individual and group coaching—Sheree encourages women to releaseregrets, set boundaries, be visible, act courageously, and create legacy—asthey navigate the long continuum of midlife.Quote: It takes guts to live the second half of your life for yourself.Connect with ShereeEmail: sheree@fork-road.comWebsite: https://fork-road.com

E. Beverly Young speaks her truths about gender and race prejudices in the workplace and larger society. She entered professional policing 50 years ago, one of few women in a male-dominated field. During her 26 years in uniform, Beverly achieved the rank of Lieutenant and become a certified police instructor for police training academies throughout the state of Pennsylvania.  Beverly earned her doctorate at age 60, supplementing field experience with academic inquiry.  In 2014 she formed her own company, writing evidence-based training curriculum for police departments. Beverly is also a prolific writer who confronts racism head on, with honesty and levity. Through blogs and books, Beverly voices her observations about society’s hypocrisy and discrimination against gender and race. Her new podcast, Help Me Change the Narrative, is coming soon.  People might see me as a woman of color with some age on her; instead, I want them to see my accomplishments, what I am capable of doing.Connect with BeverlyEmail: Ebyphd2010@gmail.comWebsite: https://ebevyyg.comRecent book: Social Change is More Than an Oops!

KC Henry’s roots are in eleven generations of Ohioans including her five siblings, four adult children and spouses, and 10 grandchildren. “Forgiveness and enjoyment of each other is what makes a family this size work.” KC creates room for consulting with non-profit organizations--drawing on her extensive experience in equine therapy--as well as for a relatively new venture as a potter. Divorced after 28 years of marriage, KC loves the freedom of single life to choose how she wants to live. This includes moving into a step-down retirement phase making room for more international travel and time with family and friends. “I’ve loved all that I’ve done,” says KC, “I am a lucky person, and I am so grateful.” Relationships, career, freedom, and new learning are central to my life. - KC HenryConnect with KCEmail: kchenry.tu@gmail.com