The Boomer Woman’s Podcast

Making Room for the Right Yes with Dr. Wendy O'Connor

For many women, saying yes became second nature long before we ever stopped to ask what we actually wanted. We were raised to be dependable, accommodating, and generous—often at the expense of ourselves.

Psychologist Wendy Oconnor joins me to explore why learning to say no isn't about becoming selfish. It's about making room for the people, passions, and purpose that truly belong in this next chapter of life.

In this episode:

• Why so many women mistake burnout for simply "being busy"
• What "languishing" really feels like—and why it matters
• How decades of conditioning make saying no surprisingly difficult
• Practical ways to set boundaries without guilt or over-explaining
• Why every no creates space for a more meaningful yes
• How curiosity can become a guide for designing your next chapter

Perhaps the most important question isn't "What should I do next?" but "What am I finally ready to stop saying yes to?"

Read more about Wendy and find all of her resources here:

The Boomer Woman's Podcast

How Do We Show Up When Someone We Love Is Dying? | Theresa Evans

Talking about death isn't easy—but avoiding the conversation doesn't make it any easier.

ICU nurse, yoga teacher and author Theresa Evans joins Agnes to share the deeply personal story of supporting her mother through Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). Together they explore anticipatory grief, caregiving, family relationships, dignity, and why showing up with love may matter more than having all the answers.

In this episode:

• What anticipatory grief really feels like

• Supporting a loved one without losing yourself

• Why nature became Theresa's greatest teacher during her mother's final months

• The importance of conversations before a crisis

• How families can honour different end-of-life choices with compassion

• Why sometimes there is nothing to fix—only someone to accompany

This conversation isn't really about death. It's about how we choose to love one another while we're still here.

Find Theresa Evans at https://theresaeevans.com/

Learn more about Theresa and find all her links at The Boomer Woman's Podcast

 

The Job That Pays the Bills and the Dream That Feeds the Soul | Nancy Jasin Ensley

How many women have spent decades doing what needed to be done while quietly setting their own dreams aside?

At 85, nurse, hospice specialist, writer, grandmother, and author Nancy Jasin Ensley believes we all have two jobs in life: the one that earns a living and the one that feeds the soul. In this heartfelt conversation, she shares stories of resilience, recovery, creativity, caregiving, and finding purpose at every stage of life.

In This Episode:

• Why Nancy believes every woman has a hidden passion worth exploring
• The role writing played in her recovery and healing
• Lessons learned from decades of nursing and hospice care
• Why it's never too late to reinvent yourself
• Finding meaning beyond the roles of wife, mother, grandmother, or career professional
• How small "light-up moments" can change the course of a life

The dreams we set aside don't necessarily disappear—they often wait patiently for us to notice them again.

Find Nancy Jasin Ensley at https://nancyjasinensley.com/

Learn more about Nancy and find all her links at The Boomer Woman’s Podcast

 

Creating Space for Your Next Chapter: Downsizing Without Regret | Donna Barwald

Downsizing is rarely about the stuff.

For many women, it's about deciding what still fits, what no longer serves them, and how to create space for the life they want next. Professional organizer and author Donna Barwald joins Agnes to talk about decluttering, moving, family treasures, storage units, memories, and why your home should reflect who you are today—not who you used to be.

In This Episode:

• Why downsizing is really about lifestyle, not possessions
• The emotional side of letting go
• What to do when your children don't want your treasures
• How clutter affects stress, focus, and decision-making
• Simple ways to start decluttering today
• Creating a home that supports your next chapter

Sometimes creating space isn't about having less—it's about making room for more of what matters now.

Find Donna at Neatly Arranged

Learn more about Donna and find all her links at The Boomer Woman's Podcast

 

Single Parenting, Mental Load & Family Support with Pat Hankin

Many Boomer women remember the reality of single parenthood. Today, many are watching their adult children face the same challenges in a world that feels faster, more expensive, and far more demanding.

In this conversation, Pat Hankin shares practical, research-backed strategies for reducing overwhelm, managing the mental load, building resilience, and creating support systems that help both parents and children thrive.

• What the "mental load" really looks like for single parents
• Why routines reduce stress for both children and adults
• Practical ways grandparents can support without overstepping
• The surprising power of systems over motivation
• Why resilience grows through everyday challenges
• How to let go of guilt and give yourself grace

Sometimes the most valuable support we can offer isn't solving someone's problems—it's helping carry a little of the weight.

Find Pat Hankin at https://pathankin.com/

Learn more about Pat Hankin and find all her links at The Boomer Woman's Podcast

 

Curiosity, Identity & Becoming Yourself at Any Age | Zipporah Jarmon

What happens when we stop asking who we're supposed to be and start asking who we really are?

In this thoughtful conversation, Agnes talks with life coach Zipporah Jarmon about transitions, identity, self-trust, communication, curiosity, and the courage to live a life aligned with who you are—whether you're 35 or 85.

In This Episode:

• Why transition never really stops
• How coaching helps people uncover answers they already carry within themselves
• What grandparents can do when younger family members share something unfamiliar
• The role of curiosity in understanding people different from ourselves
• What inclusion means beyond simple acceptance
• Why it's never too late to claim your own truth

Perhaps the greatest gift we can offer ourselves—and one another—is the willingness to stay curious.

Find more about Zee at The Boomer Woman's Podcast

When Life Takes a Plot Twist: Divorce, Reinvention & Saying YES to Yourself with Kim Peek

What happens when the life you built no longer feels like your life?

In this deeply honest conversation, Agnes talks with Kim Peek about divorce after 30 years of marriage, empty nest loneliness, toxic relationships, breast cancer survival, and the surprising power of small “yes” decisions that slowly rebuild a life.

This episode of The Boomer Woman’s Podcast explores health, reinvention, and personal growth for women navigating life after 60.

• Why “plot twists” can become turning points
• The emotional reality of an empty nest after decades of motherhood
• What Kim learned from a toxic post-divorce relationship
• The idea of “micro yeses” and reclaiming small moments for yourself
• The Six Ps of the YES Life
• Why movement, community, and curiosity matter more as we age

Sometimes the next chapter doesn’t begin with a grand reinvention — sometimes it begins with one small yes.

Learn more about Kim Peek and find all her links at The Boomer Woman's Podcast: Kim Peek

 

Worms, Laughter & Letting Go of Stress: Cathy Nesbitt on Joy, Composting and Living Differently

What do worms, sprouts, and laughter have in common?

More than you might think.

In this lively and surprisingly thoughtful conversation, Agnes talks with Cathy Nesbitt — founder of Cathy's Crawly Composters — about composting, food, resilience, stress, and why joy may be one of the most overlooked health practices of all. What begins as a conversation about worms becomes a much deeper discussion about slowing down, reconnecting to nature, and creating a life that actually feels nourishing.

In This Episode:

• Why Cathy believes worms are part of the future of food security and waste management
• How laughter yoga transformed her resilience and wellbeing
• The connection between stress, modern life, and disconnection from joy
• Why “being too sensitive” may actually be a gift
• The surprising health benefits of sprouts and live foods
• What midlife women can learn about saying yes to curiosity and small shifts

Sometimes the next chapter doesn’t begin with a dramatic reinvention — sometimes it begins with paying attention to what brings us back to life.

➡️ Full guest page and resources: boomwithabang.com

 

 

Menopause, Grief & Reinvention: Author Teri M. Brown on Becoming “Peg, Unhinged”

Author Teri M. Brown returns to The Boomer Woman’s Podcast for a conversation filled with laughter, honesty, grief, reinvention, and the wonderfully messy reality of midlife.

From menopause rage and dark humour to widowhood, writing through grief, and learning how to keep becoming after life changes everything, Teri shares the deeply human stories behind her newest novel, Peg, Unhinged.

In This Episode:

• Why menopause can feel “like being thirteen again… but worse”
• Writing humour while grieving the loss of the love of your life
• The emotional reality of rebuilding life after widowhood
• Why women should never allow age to define possibility
• Lessons learned from riding a tandem bicycle across America
• How historical fiction reveals that human nature rarely changes

Sometimes the next chapter begins not because we chose it — but because life insisted — and we discover we are still capable of becoming.

Find Teri M. Brown at https://www.terimbrown.com/

Lern more about Teri and find all her links at The Boomer Woman's Podcast: Teri M Brown

 

Things Feel Different… Now What? A Real Conversation About Life After 60 with Host, Agnes Knowles

Have you noticed that quiet sense that something has shifted? Not dramatically, not overnight—but enough that the old answers don’t quite fit anymore. In this solo episode, Agnes reflects on what many women are quietly navigating right now—and asks a simple, powerful question.

• Why life after 60 can feel “unsettled” even when nothing is obviously wrong
• The real questions women are asking (but not always saying out loud)
• Why inspirational stories don’t always translate to real life
• A grounded, no-hype perspective on AI and how to approach it
• The subtle shift in conversations that actually helps

Sometimes the most powerful step forward is simply naming what you’re trying to figure out.

There's more at the website: The Boomer Woman's Podcast