The Boomer Woman’s Podcast

What happens when you've built the successful career, proved you could do it — and realize you don't want to spend the rest of your life doing more of the same?

Lorie Eber spent 23 years as a corporate litigator, became a partner and successfully opened a branch office others predicted would fail. Then, at 49, she walked away.

What followed wasn't an instant reinvention. It was a decade of trying things, discovering abilities she didn't know she had, and eventually building a second career around wellness, teaching and healthy aging. Along the way, Lorie had to ask some surprisingly difficult questions: Who was she without “Lorie the lawyer”? Had career success crowded out friendships, hobbies and connection? And did she really want to reach the end of her life wondering whether she could have billed one more hour?

Now 70, she's reinventing herself again — this time by learning how to work with an aging body rather than expecting it to perform like the younger one she remembers. Lorie and Agnes talk candidly about metabolism, menopause, strength, protein, sleep, stress, food environments and why “the rules have changed, but nobody makes an announcement.”

In this episode:

• Walking away from a successful career at 49
• The identity crisis that can follow retirement or career change
• Why finding a new purpose can take years
• What changes in our bodies as we age
• Adjusting exercise instead of giving it up
• Health versus thinness
• Sleep, stress and our relationship with food
• Why social connection matters more with age
• Discovering kindness after a combative career
• Learning to give ourselves grace
• Why Lorie is still reinventing herself at 70

This conversation is about much more than wellness.

They talk about purpose, friendship, kindness, marriage, learning to relax, letting go of things that no longer matter — and the realization that reinvention isn't a single dramatic decision. Sometimes it is simply continuing to adapt as we become the women we're going to be next.

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

 

What happens when the roles, titles and definitions of success that once shaped us no longer fit? Chip Scholz joins Agnes for a warm, wide-ranging conversation about identity, marriage, family, resilience, usefulness and the quiet wisdom that comes from living long enough to reconsider what really matters.

After a later-life layoff, a stroke, 42 years of marriage, raising three daughters and nearly three decades of coaching others through change, Chip has learned something about starting over: first, we have to be willing to let go.

In this conversation:

• Why letting go may be the necessary first step toward starting over
• How small daily decisions carried Chip through recovery from a stroke
• Why Chip prefers “work-life harmony” to work-life balance
• What 42 years of marriage taught him about “choosing us”
• The danger of confusing status with personal importance
• Why usefulness matters more to him now than recognition
• How lived experience turns knowledge into wisdom
• What woodturning has taught him about people and relationships
• Why flexibility still needs “guardrails”
• “Semper Gumbi” — Chip's wonderfully simple reminder to stay flexible
• Why curiosity may be one of the keys to staying young

Chip is the author of Small Decisions, Big Shifts and Every Dog Has Its Day: Reflections on Life, Love and the Lathe. His newest book, Handoffs: A Family Fable, explores identity, succession and what it means to release something we've spent years building.

Learn more about Chip and find all his links at The Boomer Woman's Podcast.

 

What happens when life gently—and sometimes painfully—asks you to rethink everything you believed about yourself?

Former history teacher and memoirist Lee Knapp joins Agnes to explore faith, family, marriage, race, identity, and the surprising freedom that can come with growing older. Together they discuss why becoming ourselves is often less about reinvention than revelation.

What You'll Hear:

• Why retirement can become a time of discovery
• Accommodation versus authenticity
• Learning from younger generations
• Returning to the school that transformed her worldview
• Faith without fear
• Letting go of perfectionism
• Family history and difficult truths
• Late-life romance on your own terms
• Why curiosity matters more than certainty

This is a thoughtful, hopeful conversation about becoming more fully yourself—no matter your age or your past.

Note: This conversation includes thoughtful discussion of race, religious authority, divorce, family dynamics, and historical injustice. While approached with warmth and hope, some listeners may find parts emotionally reflective.

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

 

Sometimes the deepest wounds are the ones no one else can see.

In this heartfelt conversation, grief and resilience coach Lee Atherton shares how years of unresolved trauma, family loss, and PTSD led her to one of the darkest periods of her life—and how a remarkable service dog named Shadow became part of her journey back to hope. Together, we also explore the everyday losses many women carry quietly and what genuine healing can look like.

In this episode:

• Why grief isn't limited to losing a loved one
• The hidden impact of cumulative losses throughout life
• Why so many women struggle to ask for help after years of caring for others
• How service dogs support people living with PTSD
• Practical ways to build resilience before life becomes overwhelming
• Finding hope, connection and purpose after trauma

Healing doesn't erase what we've lived through—but it can help us carry those experiences with greater compassion, strength, and hope.

Find Lee at

• CoachRev
• Phoenix Rising

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

 

What if many of the freedoms women celebrate today didn't begin in the 1960s at all?

In this fascinating conversation, author Scott Reisfield explores how Greta Garbo quietly challenged expectations nearly a century ago—not through speeches or slogans, but through the women she portrayed, the life she chose, and the influence she had on generations that followed. Together, we explore history, Hollywood, cultural change and why many of today's conversations about women aren't nearly as new as we imagine.

In this episode:

• Why Greta Garbo became far more than a Hollywood legend
• The surprising ways women in the 1920s were already redefining independence
• How Garbo quietly challenged expectations without calling herself a feminist
• Why censorship was about much more than sex and scandal
• What Garbo and Taylor Swift unexpectedly have in common
• How every generation of women builds on those who came before

Sometimes understanding where we've come from changes how we see where we're going.

Learn more about Scott Reisfield and find all his links at The Boomer Woman's Podcast

 

This conversation begins with cats but quickly becomes something much bigger.

Deborah Felin Magaldi never intended to build a rescue organization. One stray cat led to another, and today she leads CatPAWS, helping thousands of vulnerable animals while inspiring ordinary people to discover that small acts of compassion can transform entire communities.

In this episode

• How one neighbour's cats became a sixteen-year mission

• Why fostering may be easier—and more rewarding—than you think

• The critical role of spay and neuter programs in reducing animal suffering

• The surprising connection between animal welfare, empathy, and stronger communities

• How older women can continue making a meaningful difference, whether through volunteering, donating, fostering, or simply caring

• Why "someone should do something" might actually mean "someone is you"

Whether your passion is animals, people, or your local community, this conversation is a reminder that meaningful change often begins with one person deciding to care.

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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