Older Women & Friends: Stories of Aging Well – Details, episodes & analysis

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Older Women & Friends: Stories of Aging Well

Jane Leder

Society & Culture

Frequency: 1 episode/14d. Total Eps: 98

"Older Women & Friends: Stories of Aging Well" with Jane Leder is a podcast celebrating the wisdom, resilience, and real-life experiences of older women navigating life after 50.

Award-winning author Jane Leder and her guests explore the joys and challenges of aging, covering topics like longevity, healthspan, identity, purpose, and meaningful relationships.

Through powerful storytelling and honest conversations, this podcast challenges age-related stereotypes, redefines what it means to grow older, and highlights the valuable contributions older women continue to make.

If you're interested in aging well, personal growth, and living with purpose in the second phase of life, this podcast offers inspiration, insight, and connection."

Recent rankings

Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.

Apple Podcasts

🇬🇧 Great Britain - relationships
15/08/2026
#93
🇺🇸 USA - relationships
11/08/2026
#98
🇺🇸 USA - relationships
10/08/2026
#86
🇺🇸 USA - relationships
09/08/2026
#85
🇺🇸 USA - relationships
08/08/2026
#71
🇺🇸 USA - relationships
07/08/2026
#62
🇺🇸 USA - relationships
06/08/2026
#71
🇺🇸 USA - relationships
05/08/2026
#81
🇺🇸 USA - relationships
04/08/2026
#61
🇺🇸 USA - relationships
03/08/2026
#73

Spotify

No recent rankings available

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

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https://www.agingwithpurposeandpassion.com/
7 shares
https://lucindasykesmd.com/
5 shares
https://www.lives-well-lived.com/
4 shares

https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2054889/open_sms
48 shares

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Score global : 53%

Publication history

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Latest published episodes

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"Wisdom Whisperers:" Women Up Ahead With A Playbook to Share w/ Melinda Blau

Episode 67

Thursday, June 5, 2025 • Duration 34:38

Melinda Blau is 81, but many of her dear friends are much older. These women populate her new book, The Wisdom Whisperers, and provide younger women (at 80, I must be a spring chicken!) with a playbook to draw from and relate to our own lives.

When Melinda wrote her sixteenth book, she wanted to title it, "I want what she has!" She was deeply moved and impressed by the older women, most of whom were in their 90s and 100s.

I asked Melinda what characteristics the wisdom whisperers had in common:

* Interest in others - a very robust social life

* A Purpose - a reason to wake up every day and live it to the fullest

* Gratitude for their good fortune that they have had long, fruitful lives and for the people in their lives, past and present

* Humor - Laughing with others

& Yes, independence. The women were the CEOs of their own lives

Melinda calls these women "old ladies." She got some flak from family and friends. But she was undeterred. "Old," she says, "is just an adjective. It describes me and others in the age group. These old ladies give me hope about aging, and that's such a good thing to have."

The beginning of your life is about making memories. The end of life is about remembering.

Zelda from The Wisdom Whisperers.

https://melindablau.com/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1640657134?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_E3WDVZDAFZEWP0FKKD7N_2&bestFormat=true

OR your local library.

Read moreCollapse

Laughing With Your Girlfriends w/ Carole Montgomery

Episode 66

Thursday, May 22, 2025 • Duration 29:21

Maybe you've seen the Showtime special, "Funny Women of A Certain Age" or "More Funny Women of A Certain Age," or -- you guessed it--even "More Women of A Certain Age." Today's guest, comedian Carole Montgomery, is the mover and shaker behind the shows and continues to tour with a stellar cast. Women show up in carloads, busloads, campers, and hoot and holler at the uninhibited, outrageous comedy about aging. No subject is off limits.

In this episode of "Older Women & Friends," Carole talks about the importance of having girlfriends--the value of friendship as we age
The negative stereotypes about older women & how comedy can open the door to show how ludicrous most of these misconceptions are
The female comedians like Lily Tomlin, Joan Rivers, and Phyllis Diller, who set the stage for the next generation
Humor and the importance of laughter that takes us away from physical and mental pain
Her love of being in the spotlight, she was always funny
Changes in the industry that now sports a plethora of female comedians.

& So Much More!

Check out the schedule below. There may be a show coming to a city near you.

woacashow@gmail.com

https://www.funnywomenofacertainage.com/

https://www.funnywomenofacertainage.com/podcast

https://www.funnywomenofacertainage.com/tour

Disconnected: Love On The Spectrum with Eleanor Vincent

Episode 57

Thursday, January 16, 2025 • Duration 39:01

From the outside, Eleanor Vincent's childhood appeared idyllic. But behind the veneer of a loving, supportive environment was a darker secret: her mother was depressed, Eleanor was abused, and both her parents were same-sex gays and bitterly unhappy. "Our job--my siblings' and mine -- was to protect our parents and not let their secret out." During a year when her father lived in New York to pursue acting, her mother had a female lover. The tension was palpable.

One can only imagine how all of the stress, confusion, and anger molded Eleanor and impacted her choices in life, including her choice of men.

She met her first husband when she worked as a cocktail waitress to augment her salary from a Montessori teaching job. The marriage lasted just four years. They had one child, a girl. At age thirty-two, Eleanor married again. By her mid-30s, she was a single mom with two children to raise.

Eleanor was single for the next thirty-five years until she met and married for a third time at age seventy-one.

If only her story ended there in a happy, supportive marriage. But Eleanor had unwittingly fallen in love with a man who had Asperger's, a developmental disability (some disagree with that categorization), or a person with different brain wiring from neurotypical brains. Didn't she see worrisome signs when they were dating? Yes. But she chose to minimize or overlook them because there was so much good in the relationship. (Some warning signs included no eye contact, inability to talk about emotions, and social awkwardness.)

"I had no idea what that would look like in a day-to-day relationship with a partner," Eleanor said. "It was upsetting, confusing," she said. "He love-bombed me and fooled me into thinking that being in a relationship with me was something he wanted more than anything."

Eleanor tells the rest of the story in her new book, he talks to me in this fascinating episode about what can happen when two people come together but don't realize that their brains are wired differently and that the ensuing struggle may doom the marriage, no matter how either partner tries.

Grandparent Encouragement Officer (GEO): Creating Beautiful Connections with Grandchildren w/ Kerry Byrne, PhD

Episode 56

Thursday, December 5, 2024 • Duration 27:40

What can grandparents do to foster a strong relationship? How can a grandparent be the GEO, Grand Parent Officer?

Are you a grandparent who will spend time with your grandchildren, particularly around the holidays? If not, how will you share and engage with your grandchildren from a distance at any time of year?

There are 47 million grandparents in the United States, with an average age of 67. This may be a surprise: 71 percent of grandparents are still working. So, what can these grandparents do to nurture the relationship? How can they engage? How can a grandparent be the GEO, Grand Parent Officer?

Kerry Byrne is a researcher, collaborator, and entrepreneur in aging, care, and connection. She is the Founder of The Long Distance Grandparent, a mission-driven business, that helps grandparents build strong bonds with their grandchildren – no matter the distance between them.

There is so much to unpack in this episode of "Older Women & Friends." Perhaps most important are the stories grandparents share, stories that show a grandparent facing challenges, floundering, and then succeeding. These stories are important for generations to come. Even if it seems as if a grandchild is not listening, she is.

Kerry outlines many things that a grandparent can do to foster and nurture a relationship that is beneficial for everyone. Among these suggestions is the over-arching importance of a grandchild feeling seen, heard, and listened to. There are many ways to accomplish this goal:

* Engage in what a grandchild does and your activities as well

* If you're still working, share your job. Mail some selfies of you in the workplace. Text or write about some of the challenges.

* If you can't be there for holidays like Thanksgiving, come up with a game like the Gratitude Game. (Listen to the episode to find out how the game is played.)

Sleep Talk For Women: Sleeping Pills, Dementia, Mortality with Lucinda Sykes

Episode 55

Thursday, November 21, 2024 • Duration 34:32

"My favorite species is the human species." ----- Lucinda Sykes, retired MD

Did you know that new science links prescribed sleeping pills to an increase in your chances of dementia and Alzheimers?

Sleeping pills don't put you to sleep; they sedate the brain and prevent it from giving itself a power wash that gets rid of material ultimately connected to disease.

This episode's guest is Lucida Sykes, retired MD and current sleep coach. You may have listened to an earlier episode with Lucinda. This is a Command Performance.

"Millions of older women are being taken from their families," Lucinda says. Her grandmother is a case in point. Every night, Lucinda went to the drugstore

to pick up her grandmother's sleeping pills. She died in her 60s from complications now understood to be partially due to sleeping pills.

When we can't fall asleep, our mind tends to catastrophize. We think of the worst possibilities and ruminate about them over and over again.

So, what are some useful ideas when we can't fall asleep?

*Get out of bed

*Do something that relaxes you, and engages you (puzzles, needlework, reading, etc.)

*Dim the lights - avoid blue lights; instead, surround yourself with amber and pinkish tones

*& More

The key is to avoid stimulation when you sleep and create an uncluttered space outside of the bedroom that calms and relaxes you. Maybe the room is full of fragrances like lavender or maybe there is a sound system that plays calm music.

"Aging Sideways:" A New Way of Looking at Getting Older" with Jeanette Leardi

Episode 54

Thursday, November 7, 2024 • Duration 37:20

Did you know that sometime between 2030 and 2035 it will be the first time in American history that more people will be 65+ than people 18 years and younger?

Crazy!

Today's guest, gerontologist Jeanette Leardi, is one of this podcast's favorite guests. We first talked in June 2003, and since then she has a new book out, Aging Sideways: Changing Our Perspectives on Getting Older.

Jeanette's story is fascinating. She became a gerontologist in her late 50s after taking care of her older parents for ten years. She was blown away at how poorly older people were treated and decided to try to change people's minds about aging. The way we age is not preordained and in many ways, we can be our stewards and enjoy the complex but magical journey as we age.

There is a fear that permeates the cultural view of dementia or any of its categories.

The facts: Only 10% of people 65 + have dementia

For those 90+, the rate jumps to 33.3%, but that means that two-thirds of much older Americans will not have to confront dementia.

And that's good news!

Another topic Jeanette and I discussed is the lack of rituals for older people. Sure, there are birthdays, anniversaries, and other important events, but nothing specifically for older women and men. Rituals help clarify meaning, and they give us a chance to celebrate. Jeanette suggests a multi-generational ritual when we celebrate aging instead of dreading it. Imagine the benefits: younger generations will love celebrating right along and might not have such a negative, jaded view of getting older. And there is the opportunity for older people to welcome newcomers into the fold. I don't know, something akin to ceremonies we've observed: sororities, fraternities, graduations, professional highlights, retirement, and on and on.

The Thinking Patient: Empowering Patient-Physician Communication for Better Health with Dana Sherwin

Episode 53

Thursday, October 24, 2024 • Duration 31:34

How did your recent doctor's appointment go? Did you get the care you needed? Were all your questions answered? Did you feel as if you were a valued patient whose health mattered?

If you're like many patients--often older women--the answer to some of these questions is "No!". Everything was rushed. You were in and out too quickly—the time you spent jotting down questions before your appointment seemed like a waste. What was the point if you left the doctor's office confused, frustrated, and angry?

After an episode of "Older Women & Friends" about breast cancer, one about problems associated with the pelvic floor, and other health-related episodes scheduled for the future, I felt it important to have a guest who could help define the steps all of us can take to communicate with doctors and get the care and respect we deserve. We know ourselves and our history better than anyone. It's key that we understand how to share that information and to advocate for ourselves.

Dana Sherwin was a top hospital administrator for thirty-five years. But when she was diagnosed with a rare blood disease, she made the difficult decision to leave her profession. Her cancer treatment included chemo and, eventually, a bone marrow transplant. She was in the hospital for five weeks and spent many more in her recovery.

Along the way, she paid close attention to the care she received. She began to figure out what made a doctor-patient relationship work well and what did not. She admits that she made mistakes along the way and decided to develop the steps for patients of all stripes and health issues and, for that matter, regularly scheduled appointments, that help get the best medical care. "The Thinking Patients" is the result.

There are five important steps that Dana suggests and that she details in this episode:

All About Your Pelvic Floor: w/ Nabila Noor, MD

Episode 52

Wednesday, October 9, 2024 • Duration 36:04

What is the pelvic floor? Where is it located in the body? What does it do? What are the potential issues created by a weak pelvic floor?

You might be surprised to learn that millions of young and older women experience problems--many of them uncomfortable and embarrassing--with their pelvic floor.

Dr. Nabila Noor, a urogynecologist and physician specializing in pelvic floor problems, joins me in this informative episode. Dr. Noor explains how we can take preventative measures like specific exercises to strengthen our pelvic floor and, if those measures are unsuccessful, the simple, fast surgeries that can solve any of the following problems:

bladder leakage
"Gotta Go, Gotta Go syndrome
Frequent Urinary Tract Infections
Bowel problems
Sexual dysfunction
Pelvic organ prolapse
& More

I don't know about you, but I'd never heard of a urogynecologist, a pelvic floor physical therapist, or the scope of problems caused by a weak pelvic floor. So, I was all ears during this episode.

Dr. Noor was born in Bangladesh and came to the U.S. at age 18 to attend Smith College, an all-girls school that encouraged her to focus on women's health. After receiving her degree as an OB-GYN, she spent an additional three years pursuing a urogynecology specialty. It is a relatively new field, about 20 years old, which is probably why many of us had never heard of it.

If Dr. Noor has one message above all others it is that pelvic floor problems can be solved and that no woman should have to deal with any of these often embarrassing, often painful conditions for years without any hope of leading a normal life. Dr. Noor gets so much joy when a patient returns to the office for a post-surgical checkup. They could kick themselves for not having gotten help earlier but are so damn happy to resume a full life.

Changing Those Damn Habits That Get In Your Way with Ronnie Loaiza

Episode 51

Thursday, September 26, 2024 • Duration 31:24

Yep, we are all caught up in habitual ways of thinking and acting. We turn on our default programming to autopilot and more often than not talk to our boss, partner, or child the same way we have forever.

Ronnie Loaiza is a certified life coach and a certified habit coach. Who knew there was something called a habit coach? Ronnie explains that she helps people create doable habits that get them to their goals instead of temporary or unsustainable hacks, militant discipline, or willpower. "People grow with tiny steps," Ronnie says.

My methodology, called Thought Work™ helps clients make BIG changes quickly without wasting time.We streamline achieving your long-term goals realizing them faster than traditional methods.We eliminate what's not working for you, and replace forced motivation (which is temporary) with concrete evidence that you are capable of achieving yourgoals. Simply put, we cut through the noise and focus on what really matters to get what you want.

Ronnie was born in the U.S., but she and her mother moved back to where the rest of the family lived. When her parents, her two siblings, and Ronnie returned to the States permanently, Ronnie didn't speak a word of English. Okay, maybe a word or two. She went to kindergarten as a Spanish speaker and quickly picked up English like a sponge.

Ronnie is by nature an adventurous woman who loves to travel. After college, she traveled to France for a five-month program. She stayed for five years. After France, she resided in Los Angeles, where she still lives today.

After suffering from painful back and hip issues and after trying every kind of modality--shots, massage, physical therapy, spinal decompression, and on and on--she gave up. But when her husband suggested that she see a trainer who came highly recommended, she was not gung-ho but gave it a try. Within a matter of weeks, much of her pain was gone. So when her trainer suggested that she become a trainer as a forty-six-year-old, she laughed.

From the Boxing Ring to the Ashram with Deborah Charnes

Episode 50

Thursday, September 12, 2024 • Duration 35:59

Deborah Charnes has been a solo traveler since she was sixteen. She has been around the world on a quest of sorts to learn as much as she can about the cultures, traditions, and people of other countries. During her travels, she has met mentors and gurus, each of whom taught her something important about achieving health and happiness. Her book, FROM THE BOXING RING TO THE ASHRAM, is a distillation of some of those teachers and the ways they have impacted her life. When she’s not on the road, Deborah blogs about travel and currently writes for the “Ethel” a newsletter for women 55+ sponsored by AARP. She is a certified bilingual yoga therapist and a holistic health coach.

https://thenamastecounsel.com/

https://thenamastecounsel.com/book-from-the-boxing-ring-to-the-ashram/

Older Women & Friends: Stories of Aging Well – Details, episodes & analysis

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Older Women & Friends: Stories of Aging Well – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other99+

LinkedIn43

Buzzsprout1

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Other99+

LinkedIn43

Buzzsprout1