May 26, 2025 • 31 mins
What if "cool" has nothing to do with how you look—and everything to do with how you live?
In this fired-up first episode, Erica and Rusty throw out society’s dusty scripts about aging, relevance, and playing small.
Forget chasing approval. Forget shrinking to fit. This is about living with swagger, soul, and a streak of rebellion. It’s about showing up as your full, messy, magnificent self—and realizing that the second half of life isn’t a slow fade…it’s your boldest remix yet.
We’re talking:
✅ Redefining cool (spoiler: mustard stains and all)
✅ Escaping comfort zones before they turn into cages
✅ Smashing the myth of "too late"
✅ Building a circle that fuels your fire
✅ Saying yes to life—with sandals, sass, and soul
If you’re ready to trade beige living for barefoot dreams and overdue adventures, this episode’s your starting gun.
The revolution’s not coming. It’s here. Grab your rum, your curiosity, and your second wind—let’s go.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Imagine this. You're on a crooked stool at a
beach bar that survived 3 hurricanes and still makes the
best damn coconut mojito on the island.
The roof's patched with driftwood and good intentions,
and every inch of the place has a story.
(00:23):
There's a domino game in the corner.
Someone's dancing barefoot in the sand and the Juke box just
coughed up a Marvin Gaye classic.
The air smells like salt, lime and second chances.
And you, you're finally off script.
No rolls, no filters, just sun on your face and that one wild
(00:50):
question whispering in your ear.What if this next chapter is the
best 1 yet? Now that's the kind of vibe
we're chasing. You ready to talk about what it
really means to be cool? Welcome to the latitude
adjustment. It's time to stop drifting and
start navigating by your own inner compass.
(01:13):
The life you're looking for isn't out there.
It's in motion right now. Get ready to step off the map
with your hosts, Erica and RustyHarrison.
All right, Rusty, hi. Hello.
It's our first episode. We've got the sun on our backs.
Mics are hot. All right, So you ready to blow
(01:33):
the dust off a word people thinkthey already understand?
Let's do it. We are talking about the word.
Cool. Not the Instagram influencer
cool. Not the overpriced latte cool.
Not that one. We're talking about the soul
deep, whiskey sipping wind and your hair kind of cool.
The kind that survives hurricanes and heart breaks.
(01:57):
Exactly the kind of cool that doesn't perform.
The kind that rolls in wearing alinen shirt, a mustard stain and
enough swagger to sell it. So you say a mustard stains are
fashionable now? Hey, only if you rock it with
conviction. But isn't that the point?
(02:18):
Cool. Isn't the clothes you're wearing
or the playlist you're jamming into.
It's the person willing to live unscripted, to speak truth, to
show up as themselves, no matterhow loud the world gets around
them. Exactly.
So I used to think cool was, youknow, mystery.
(02:39):
So sunglasses indoors, motorcycle boots.
But those things are just costumes.
Yeah. I have met folks with no stage
presence and all the real presence in the world.
Yes, people who don't chase attention be because they're too
busy chasing purpose. Those folks, right?
That's what the show is about, Aging with guts, living with
(03:01):
soul, and choosing growth over shrinking and joy over fear.
Let me ask you this, Rusty. When did you stop chasing cool
and start being cool? Maybe I was born cool.
Oh, we know that. But I think the first time that
I ever shared something about myself that I had kept hidden
for years. What was that?
(03:21):
I disclosed to someone that I suffer from major depression and
you know what their response was?
What? Me too.
Wow. And that was it.
I realized cool wasn't the mask,it was the courage to take it
off. Yes, that's where the magic
lives. Not in perfection, in presence,
in the willingness to be seen, flaws and all.
(03:43):
And especially as we age, when the world starts whispering,
you're irrelevant. But aging heroes do now go
quietly. We get louder.
Louder. Louder, with wisdom, with
playfulness, with clarity. Cool isn't about youth, it's
about truth. Say it, baby.
That sounded good. Let's do that one again.
(04:03):
Cool isn't about youth, it's about truth.
It's saying I know who I am and I don't need your permission to
be my authentic self. We met a woman last week.
Do you remember her? Tell me, tell me a little, give
me some information. She was 62.
She was a retired accountant andnow she paints nudes on
(04:26):
driftwood. Oh, hang on, how could I forget?
I think she said. I spent 30 years balancing
books. Now I balance light and shadow.
Let's think about that for a minute.
Cool as hell. It was because she claimed a new
identity. She didn't ask if it made sense.
She asked if it made her feel alive.
And that's the shift. That's what we're talking about
(04:49):
when we say being an aging hero.You realize that time, it's a
privilege. So what you do is you stop
waiting and you start living. You stop dimming and you let
your authentic self burn brighter.
So let's throw this challenge out to our listeners.
(05:10):
Let's give them our first Aging Heroes Challenge.
Find a belief you've been dragging around.
Something dusty, something heavy, something that whispers
You're too old for that. And now ask yourself, who gave
it to me and does it still serveme?
(05:31):
If the answer is no. Chuck it in the volcano.
Toss it with all your old other outdated scripts.
Because aging heroes don't shrink.
They shed. They evolve and they definitely
rebel. And cool, it's not gone, it's
just moved. It moved from wishful thinking
(05:53):
to taking action. Gold.
Absolute gold. So what comes next?
We got more stories, we got moretruth and more soul.
Not someday, but now, because. Cool isn't about the clothes you
wear, it's about how you walk through the fire with a smile on
your face. So.
Grab your shades, your sandals, your sass and your rum and meet
(06:19):
us back here because the revolution, it's just getting
started. OK, best.
(06:44):
Let's just RIP the Band-Aid off this one, all right?
You RIP that Band-Aid off, baby.People think cool is some
external thing, so we talked about that.
You know, leather jackets, shades indoors, maybe a back
story involving rum and bad decisions.
(07:09):
I have made lots of bad decisions with Rum, so guilty as
charged. But yeah, that's the myth.
Truth is, cool isn't a look. Cool is a vibe.
And the core of that vibe is authenticity.
That is the secret sauce. Exactly.
When you stop trying to be who the world expects and start
(07:30):
being who you actually are, that's when the magic happens.
Suddenly, you know the air just tastes better, right?
Yeah, authenticity is trading that coat and tie for your old
concert T-shirt. I love my old concert Tees.
(07:51):
Yep, The Rolling Stones one. That one, yes.
It has a lot of holes in it and it has the passion of your first
real rebellion, and that's when you stop performing and start
living. And let's not sugarcoat it.
I know what it's like to contortmyself just to be palatable.
(08:12):
That might be lowering my voice,crossing my legs, editing the
truth of who I am authentically so that people wouldn't squirm.
I've been there. It's freaking exhausting.
But when you drop the ACT you walk lighter.
You sound different and the world subtly shifts.
(08:32):
I have a one word response there.
Preach. And for the record, authenticity
doesn't mean flawless, it means honest.
It's saying, yes, I wear polka dot sneakers.
Yes, I cry during dog food commercials, and you do.
And no, I'm not sorry for any ofthose things.
(08:54):
So here's your hall pass, folks.Be weird, be bold, be real.
And next time you wonder is thiscool, flip it and ask is this
me? And if it is baby, it's cool by
default. Oh.
I love that. I love that because trying to be
cool is definitely one of the quickest ways not to be cool.
(09:15):
But being real, that's magnetic.I'm going to say brings us to
the gremlin in the room, the fear of judgment.
Oh yeah, the mood killer of the century.
Fear of judgment has talked morepeople out of joy than middle
school gym class. OK, tell me about it.
Have you ever picked up that offbeat outfit?
(09:39):
One that makes your soul sing. I'm sure you've recognized that.
I've definitely done that a time.
Or two, a closet full of those, yes.
But then, you know, there's times I'll put it right back
because maybe I was worried about what Karen from book club
would say. Well, I don't think so.
Karen is too busy worrying abouther own issues to be concerned
(10:02):
with your fashion choices. That is absolutely true, and
it's definitely something I've figured out.
You know, most people aren't paying as much attention to us
as we think. They are caught up in their own
internal dramas. And even if they are judging,
still not your problem. No, their discomfort is not your
(10:24):
cage. You do not owe anyone a watered
down version of yourself. Can we talk icons for a second?
Yeah. The people we admire, they
didn't play small. They didn't blend in.
Those are the kind of folks thatwore feathers.
They became the bird that's. The legacy right there.
Authenticity isn't just personal, it's contagious.
(10:47):
When you show up fully, you createspace for others to do the
same. And that fear of judgment?
It's a thief. It robs us before we even light
the match. So let's throw open the doors
and light the damn match already.
All right, so let's shift gears a little bit.
(11:08):
Let's do it. And talk about comfort zones.
OK, those velvet line traps? They feel nice until you realize
they're nothing but cages lined with regret.
I call them cushy little prisons.
Everything's beige and tastes like lukewarm pina colada.
You know you're safe, sure, but you're not alive.
(11:30):
Yeah, no one ever said the best night of my life started with me
playing it safe. Nope.
Great stories happen when we step out and take a chance.
Comfort zones. They'll let you live, but
they're not going to let you thrive.
They won't give you goosebumps or those holy crap I did at
moments. So, aging heroes, here's the
(11:52):
rule. If it scares you a little, it's
probably a doorway. I think what you should do is
say yes. Say yes to the weird invitation,
to the Flamingo print shirt, to the open mic night, even if you
know your voice is going to shake.
And when someone asked why the hell would you do that, you say,
(12:14):
Because I'm not dead yet, sweetheart.
And Hannah, my tequila shot. That's totally the energy we're
looking for. All right, here we go.
So before we wrap, I say let's drop a final truth bomb.
Staking Young has nothing to do with Botox or kale.
It's about curiosity. Yes, it's saying what if more
(12:37):
often? What if I learned to dance?
What if I took that class? Or wrote that poem?
Or talk to that stranger. Yeah, what if you stopped
waiting for permission and you just gave it to yourself?
Aging isn't the end of adventure, it's the remix.
And the world, well, it's still full of wonder.
You just have to go looking for it.
So here's your Aging Heroes challenge #2 pick one adventure
(13:06):
you've been putting off. Maybe big or small doesn't
matter, but we want you to one name it, 2 claim it and then put
it on your calendar like it is adate with destiny.
Because you're not here to collect dust, folks.
You're here to collect stories. I love that.
(13:28):
Here's a recap of what we've covered so far.
You ready? Yeah #1 authenticity is the real
cool. Ditch the mask. #2 fear of
judgment. Total buzzkill. #3 comfort zones
escape them like your soul depends on it.
And #4 adventure, now that's your secret elixir.
(13:51):
All right, what's up next? We are talking about breaking up
with society's boring rule book and writing one that actually
feels like you. So stay loud, stay lit, and keep
your heart in sports mode. Lights too short for beige?
We'll see you next segment, preferably on a beach,
(14:12):
scribbling truth on the back of a napkin with a pen that smells
like freedom. All right, Erica, it's time to
(14:34):
kick over the beach chair and get real.
Let's do it. Let me ask you something, OK?
Whose script were you living before you lit it on fire?
Oh. You are like coming in hard
today, but yeah, OK. Truth.
I spent years following a life plan.
I didn't write parents, schools,plural society.
(15:00):
It was like they they handed me a laminated brochure titled How
to Be Acceptable the Lifetime Edition.
Oh yeah, I got that same brochure.
You got that? Yeah, you know the one.
Graduate, work hard, blend in, don't rock the boat, retire
quietly and disappear politely. Like seriously, are we people or
(15:22):
toasters? Right.
That's not life. That's a warranty plan, people.
Somewhere along the way, we started mistaking obedience for
purpose. And they traded joy for comfort.
But here's the truth. Tell it to us.
Those rules are pure fiction. They were pinned by people who
never met your soul. They don't know your fire, they
(15:45):
don't know your playlist, and the sure as hell don't know what
you're here to become. They definitely don't know about
the dream you've stashed in the back of your mind waiting for
someday like it's a real date onthe calendar.
So. So let's put it out there, plain
and bold. Whose rules are you still living
(16:05):
by? Your families?
That old boss who thought you were too extra are the ghost of
some cultural trend that said aging means shrinking.
Shrink, please. We're not here to shrink.
We've decided that for sure. We are here to expand.
Aging heroes don't tiptoe. We sail along, preferably in
(16:26):
bold colors, with music playing and 0 apologies.
So here's our decree. Burn the brochure, rewrite the
script, make it weird, and make it yours.
Let's bust a big giant myth while we're at it, OK?
Sure. The lie that if you don't start
(16:47):
something by your 30s, it's too late.
That one right there, that myth,has robbed the world of so many
brilliant things. Stories, ideas, recipes,
inventions, songs. I mean, come on, people are out
here launching businesses in their 60s, learning to dance in
(17:08):
their 70s, they are snowboardingin their 80s, and these people
are making headlines, OK? Colonel Sanders, your favorite.
Oh God. Didn't get his chicken empire
poppin until he was 6262 years old.
The man fried his way through 1000 rejections before the world
(17:31):
embraced those 11 herbs and spices.
All right, so what's stopping usfrom painting, dancing,
launching, laughing louder? Nothing.
Nothing but imaginary deadlines and crusty expectations.
Yep, the story ain't over, folks.
The ink's still wet and you're still holding the pan.
So I say, let's say it together.It's not.
(17:53):
Too late, it's right on time. Now let's talk about the unsung
superhero trait of all aging heroes.
Curiosity. Oh yes, curiosity is the
champagne of the soul. You ever meet someone who just
gave up on learning new stuff? Yeah, I don't get that.
Like they put a closed for renovation sign on their spirit.
(18:18):
I think it's tragic. It is.
I honestly don't understand that.
They stop asking questions, theystop exploring, they let routine
wrap around them like a cocoon of boredom and suddenly lifes
just bland. But the real ones, they stay
curious. They try new things, ask hard
questions. They don't say I already know,
(18:42):
they say tell me more. OK, so let's give them a
curiosity starter pack. All right, dish it out.
First, ask yourself what else could be true.
I like. That ask what haven't I tried
and then finally ask why the hell not Boom.
Right there will keep your soul from I'm going stale.
(19:05):
Right on those three things. Curiosity doesn't just keep you
young, it's going to keep you lit.
It's going to keep you relevant.OK, so let's flip another
expectation on its back. OK, what counts as adventure?
Because people hear adventure and they think it's going to
involve things like skydiving, camel tracks or quitting your
(19:29):
job to open a vegan surf shop inTulum.
What's? Hey man, if that's her jam, go
for. It go for it.
But adventure doesn't have to bebig.
That's the case. It just has to be real.
Yeah. It's saying yes when you
normally say. Adventure can be as simple as
salsa dancing in your kitchen can be.
(19:49):
Trying that weird Thai chili recipe?
Could be starting a podcast withyour BFF after 50 sound from it.
Or after 60. That's right.
Or taking yourself out to dinner, ordering dessert first.
Yeah, and toasting your own damnresilience.
(20:10):
It's about aliveness. That's bark that says I'm still
in it, still hungry, still here.So here's your Aging Heroes
challenge #3. Do one thing this week that
feels like an adventure. It can be big, it can be small,
(20:32):
it can be loud or quiet. Just make it real and make it
yours. Because this isn't the dress
rehearsal this right now, it's the show.
And let me just tell you guys, it's got a killer soundtrack.
With a few spilled drinks and impromptu dance breaks along the
way. All right, let's break it down
(20:53):
like we're holding court at a beach bar.
All right, the session is in. Here's your Segment 3 recap.
Number one, stop living by otherpeople's scripts.
Burn a damn brochure. #2 it's never too late to start, ever.
#3 Curiosity is your spiritual skin care, apply it daily.
(21:16):
And #4 adventure isn't far away.It's literally one bold yes
away. Coming up next, we are diving
into what it means to build a community that actually gets you
people who don't just tolerate your growth.
They pour champagne on it and say go higher baby.
(21:41):
Because you don't need cheerleaders, you need Co
conspirators, People who carry your dream when it gets too
heavy. So don't, damn, don't disappear.
Keep that head high, your flip flops flapping and your spirit
wide open. Because aging heroes don't
retreat and redefine, and the world's just getting good.
(22:20):
All right, Rusty, today we're diving into something that makes
or breaks the whole damn vibe. You are talking about the
circle. Yes, Sir.
The crew, the people in your boat that are either rowing with
you or poking holes in the bottom.
Those are the ones. And that's the thing.
(22:40):
You can do all the meditating, green smoothie sipping and
vision boarding you want, but ifyou're surrounding yourself by
folks who drain your spirit likea cracked coconut, you're sunk,
right? Yes, you could be sipping top
shelf rum on a 5 star hammock, but if the folks nearby are
(23:01):
complaining about the weather and why happiness isn't really
this Dick after 50, your vibes getting hijacked.
Energy is contagious, you becomethe energy you're surrounded by.
So the question is, are your people pouring sunlight into you
or are they low key storm clouding you?
(23:24):
If they complain all the time and treat every possibility like
a problem, don't be surprised when your joy starts
evaporating. But when you've got people who
stretch themselves, who laugh atfear, who take joy seriously,
that kind of energy sticks to your bones.
(23:47):
And it lifts you. It's like a good guitar solo at
the golden hour. It's like a breeze off the ocean
that reminds you that you are alive.
I say let's put it in sand terms.
You're climbing the steep, dude.Do you want people yelling?
Careful, you're too old. Or do you want people shouting?
(24:12):
Hell yeah, look at you go. Man, I want the ones with beach
towels and bullhorn screaming you're a legend.
That's who I want. That same, same the right people
don't just tolerate your growth.They cheer for it, you know,
they celebrate it. They say I see who you're
(24:33):
becoming and I'm not letting yousettle for less.
That's why, as aging heroes, we don't build our circle out of
convenience, we build it with intention.
That's right. We're talking about alignment
over proximity. No more.
We go way back. If way back is holding you back,
(24:53):
your time is too precious. We talked about that.
You're light. It's real.
So build a circle that that calls your soul forward.
People who hand you courage whenyou're low and who remind you
who the hell you are when you forget.
And here's the thing, we're not static creatures.
We're not stuck in the role we picked when we were 25 and
(25:16):
trying to impress people that we're not even connected to now.
Reinvention is our birthright. It's not just possible, it's
essential. Say it louder for the folks
folding laundry in their self doubt.
Invention is not a fluke. It's not rare.
It's how you stay alive on the inside.
(25:38):
Colonel Sanders was 62. Vera Wang was 40 before she got
started. Julia Child was in her late 40s
before she even learned to saute.
Julia Child and. Tama a Wantanabe climbed Mount
Everest at 63. That's bad ass.
Yes, the people who say that ship has sailed.
(26:01):
Dude we build new ships with much better cruise.
Reinvention's not about age, it's about mindset.
So stay open, stay flexible and you know, try mamba dancing at
73 or learn the bass guitar one sexy riff at a time.
That sounded sexy. True.
Because let's be honest, the alternative is sitting on the
(26:23):
same couch telling the same story about why you didn't do
the thing. And that story?
That's going to get heavy. Yeah, All right, so, so let's go
to one of my favorite mindset flips.
Oh, take us there. It's the power of yes.
Yes. Most folks walk through life
defaulting to no. Would you agree?
(26:44):
Yeah. No, I've never done that.
No, that sounds too risky. Or no, I don't want to look
foolish. And what happens is their world
gets smaller, their life shrinks, they're spark dims and
till they're barely glowing. But the second you start saying
yes, all of a sudden now the world opens you.
(27:07):
You meet new people, you try newthings.
You can remember and feel that you you've got a pulse and a
purpose. Anias Nin said life expands or
shrinks based on your courage. That's beautiful.
We're not saying say yes to every invite or every
(27:27):
obligation. No, we're talking about what
we'd call the the sacred yes, the yes that makes your chest
feel fuller, the one that makes your smile arrive before your
brain can even argue. The yes, that feels like a beach
bonfire in your gut. Mm hmm.
Say yes to that road trip, to that writing workshop, to the
(27:49):
salsa class with strangers. And absolutely say yes to
yourself. Aging heroes don't watch life
from the sideline, we jump in. So here we are, Rusty.
Last segment of this episode. But it's not a farewell, it's a
launch sequence. Amen.
We are not winding down. We are gearing up.
(28:10):
We've thrown the old scripts into a beach bonfire and toasted
marshmallows over the ashes. Hmm.
That sounds pretty delicious. Because we know this much The
people you keep around you matter.
Your evolution matters. Your yeses, they matter.
And none of it's accidental. You don't become an aging hero
(28:32):
by luck, you become one by choice.
All right guys, so here's your Aging Heroes challenge #4 do
something today that aligns withyour future self.
It might be starting something, it might be ending something,
could be anything, but whatever it is, let it be true.
(28:53):
Mark this moment. This is where the shift happens,
when you stop drifting and startdesigning the life that fits
your fire. All right everyone, here's a
recap. Like coconut Cliff Notes.
Your circle shapes your spark, so pick people who grow with
you. And #2 reinvention is not rare,
(29:15):
it's required. #3 Say yes to whatever excites your soul.
And #4 this moment, it's not theend, it's your beginning.
All right, so here is an aging Hero challenge roll call.
Let's do it. Flip a negative belief about
(29:39):
aging. Prove it wrong.
Pick an adventure you've been avoiding and go do it.
Say yes to one bold, beautiful thing.
And take aligned action today. Begin the life you want.
All right, here's a final thought.
Aging isn't about decline. It's about reclamation.
(30:02):
Can you say that for US one moretime?
I like that one. Aging is not about decline.
It's not. It's about reclamation.
You're not running out of time, you're stepping into it.
If this episode hit your heart, it spoke to you.
Share it. Text a friend, tag us and go
(30:23):
follow us on Instagram and Facebook at Aging Heroes.
You can also find our full tribeat www.agingheroes.com.
And remember, cool isn't about how you look, it's about how you
live. So live big, laugh often and
love like your joy is non negotiable.
(30:47):
Until next time, aging heroes, stay salty, stay soulful, and
stay in motion. We'll see you.
Next time.
Imagine this. You're on a crooked stool at a
beach bar that survived 3 hurricanes and still makes the
best damn coconut mojito on the island.
The roof's patched with driftwood and good intentions,
and every inch of the place has a story.
(00:23):
There's a domino game in the corner.
Someone's dancing barefoot in the sand and the Juke box just
coughed up a Marvin Gaye classic.
The air smells like salt, lime and second chances.
And you, you're finally off script.
No rolls, no filters, just sun on your face and that one wild
(00:50):
question whispering in your ear.What if this next chapter is the
best 1 yet? Now that's the kind of vibe
we're chasing. You ready to talk about what it
really means to be cool? Welcome to the latitude
adjustment. It's time to stop drifting and
start navigating by your own inner compass.
(01:13):
The life you're looking for isn't out there.
It's in motion right now. Get ready to step off the map
with your hosts, Erica and RustyHarrison.
All right, Rusty, hi. Hello.
It's our first episode. We've got the sun on our backs.
Mics are hot. All right, So you ready to blow
(01:33):
the dust off a word people thinkthey already understand?
Let's do it. We are talking about the word.
Cool. Not the Instagram influencer
cool. Not the overpriced latte cool.
Not that one. We're talking about the soul
deep, whiskey sipping wind and your hair kind of cool.
The kind that survives hurricanes and heart breaks.
(01:57):
Exactly the kind of cool that doesn't perform.
The kind that rolls in wearing alinen shirt, a mustard stain and
enough swagger to sell it. So you say a mustard stains are
fashionable now? Hey, only if you rock it with
conviction. But isn't that the point?
(02:18):
Cool. Isn't the clothes you're wearing
or the playlist you're jamming into.
It's the person willing to live unscripted, to speak truth, to
show up as themselves, no matterhow loud the world gets around
them. Exactly.
So I used to think cool was, youknow, mystery.
(02:39):
So sunglasses indoors, motorcycle boots.
But those things are just costumes.
Yeah. I have met folks with no stage
presence and all the real presence in the world.
Yes, people who don't chase attention be because they're too
busy chasing purpose. Those folks, right?
That's what the show is about, Aging with guts, living with
(03:01):
soul, and choosing growth over shrinking and joy over fear.
Let me ask you this, Rusty. When did you stop chasing cool
and start being cool? Maybe I was born cool.
Oh, we know that. But I think the first time that
I ever shared something about myself that I had kept hidden
for years. What was that?
(03:21):
I disclosed to someone that I suffer from major depression and
you know what their response was?
What? Me too.
Wow. And that was it.
I realized cool wasn't the mask,it was the courage to take it
off. Yes, that's where the magic
lives. Not in perfection, in presence,
in the willingness to be seen, flaws and all.
(03:43):
And especially as we age, when the world starts whispering,
you're irrelevant. But aging heroes do now go
quietly. We get louder.
Louder. Louder, with wisdom, with
playfulness, with clarity. Cool isn't about youth, it's
about truth. Say it, baby.
That sounded good. Let's do that one again.
(04:03):
Cool isn't about youth, it's about truth.
It's saying I know who I am and I don't need your permission to
be my authentic self. We met a woman last week.
Do you remember her? Tell me, tell me a little, give
me some information. She was 62.
She was a retired accountant andnow she paints nudes on
(04:26):
driftwood. Oh, hang on, how could I forget?
I think she said. I spent 30 years balancing
books. Now I balance light and shadow.
Let's think about that for a minute.
Cool as hell. It was because she claimed a new
identity. She didn't ask if it made sense.
She asked if it made her feel alive.
And that's the shift. That's what we're talking about
(04:49):
when we say being an aging hero.You realize that time, it's a
privilege. So what you do is you stop
waiting and you start living. You stop dimming and you let
your authentic self burn brighter.
So let's throw this challenge out to our listeners.
(05:10):
Let's give them our first Aging Heroes Challenge.
Find a belief you've been dragging around.
Something dusty, something heavy, something that whispers
You're too old for that. And now ask yourself, who gave
it to me and does it still serveme?
(05:31):
If the answer is no. Chuck it in the volcano.
Toss it with all your old other outdated scripts.
Because aging heroes don't shrink.
They shed. They evolve and they definitely
rebel. And cool, it's not gone, it's
just moved. It moved from wishful thinking
(05:53):
to taking action. Gold.
Absolute gold. So what comes next?
We got more stories, we got moretruth and more soul.
Not someday, but now, because. Cool isn't about the clothes you
wear, it's about how you walk through the fire with a smile on
your face. So.
Grab your shades, your sandals, your sass and your rum and meet
(06:19):
us back here because the revolution, it's just getting
started. OK, best.
(06:44):
Let's just RIP the Band-Aid off this one, all right?
You RIP that Band-Aid off, baby.People think cool is some
external thing, so we talked about that.
You know, leather jackets, shades indoors, maybe a back
story involving rum and bad decisions.
(07:09):
I have made lots of bad decisions with Rum, so guilty as
charged. But yeah, that's the myth.
Truth is, cool isn't a look. Cool is a vibe.
And the core of that vibe is authenticity.
That is the secret sauce. Exactly.
When you stop trying to be who the world expects and start
(07:30):
being who you actually are, that's when the magic happens.
Suddenly, you know the air just tastes better, right?
Yeah, authenticity is trading that coat and tie for your old
concert T-shirt. I love my old concert Tees.
(07:51):
Yep, The Rolling Stones one. That one, yes.
It has a lot of holes in it and it has the passion of your first
real rebellion, and that's when you stop performing and start
living. And let's not sugarcoat it.
I know what it's like to contortmyself just to be palatable.
(08:12):
That might be lowering my voice,crossing my legs, editing the
truth of who I am authentically so that people wouldn't squirm.
I've been there. It's freaking exhausting.
But when you drop the ACT you walk lighter.
You sound different and the world subtly shifts.
(08:32):
I have a one word response there.
Preach. And for the record, authenticity
doesn't mean flawless, it means honest.
It's saying, yes, I wear polka dot sneakers.
Yes, I cry during dog food commercials, and you do.
And no, I'm not sorry for any ofthose things.
(08:54):
So here's your hall pass, folks.Be weird, be bold, be real.
And next time you wonder is thiscool, flip it and ask is this
me? And if it is baby, it's cool by
default. Oh.
I love that. I love that because trying to be
cool is definitely one of the quickest ways not to be cool.
(09:15):
But being real, that's magnetic.I'm going to say brings us to
the gremlin in the room, the fear of judgment.
Oh yeah, the mood killer of the century.
Fear of judgment has talked morepeople out of joy than middle
school gym class. OK, tell me about it.
Have you ever picked up that offbeat outfit?
(09:39):
One that makes your soul sing. I'm sure you've recognized that.
I've definitely done that a time.
Or two, a closet full of those, yes.
But then, you know, there's times I'll put it right back
because maybe I was worried about what Karen from book club
would say. Well, I don't think so.
Karen is too busy worrying abouther own issues to be concerned
(10:02):
with your fashion choices. That is absolutely true, and
it's definitely something I've figured out.
You know, most people aren't paying as much attention to us
as we think. They are caught up in their own
internal dramas. And even if they are judging,
still not your problem. No, their discomfort is not your
(10:24):
cage. You do not owe anyone a watered
down version of yourself. Can we talk icons for a second?
Yeah. The people we admire, they
didn't play small. They didn't blend in.
Those are the kind of folks thatwore feathers.
They became the bird that's. The legacy right there.
Authenticity isn't just personal, it's contagious.
(10:47):
When you show up fully, you createspace for others to do the
same. And that fear of judgment?
It's a thief. It robs us before we even light
the match. So let's throw open the doors
and light the damn match already.
All right, so let's shift gears a little bit.
(11:08):
Let's do it. And talk about comfort zones.
OK, those velvet line traps? They feel nice until you realize
they're nothing but cages lined with regret.
I call them cushy little prisons.
Everything's beige and tastes like lukewarm pina colada.
You know you're safe, sure, but you're not alive.
(11:30):
Yeah, no one ever said the best night of my life started with me
playing it safe. Nope.
Great stories happen when we step out and take a chance.
Comfort zones. They'll let you live, but
they're not going to let you thrive.
They won't give you goosebumps or those holy crap I did at
moments. So, aging heroes, here's the
(11:52):
rule. If it scares you a little, it's
probably a doorway. I think what you should do is
say yes. Say yes to the weird invitation,
to the Flamingo print shirt, to the open mic night, even if you
know your voice is going to shake.
And when someone asked why the hell would you do that, you say,
(12:14):
Because I'm not dead yet, sweetheart.
And Hannah, my tequila shot. That's totally the energy we're
looking for. All right, here we go.
So before we wrap, I say let's drop a final truth bomb.
Staking Young has nothing to do with Botox or kale.
It's about curiosity. Yes, it's saying what if more
(12:37):
often? What if I learned to dance?
What if I took that class? Or wrote that poem?
Or talk to that stranger. Yeah, what if you stopped
waiting for permission and you just gave it to yourself?
Aging isn't the end of adventure, it's the remix.
And the world, well, it's still full of wonder.
You just have to go looking for it.
So here's your Aging Heroes challenge #2 pick one adventure
(13:06):
you've been putting off. Maybe big or small doesn't
matter, but we want you to one name it, 2 claim it and then put
it on your calendar like it is adate with destiny.
Because you're not here to collect dust, folks.
You're here to collect stories. I love that.
(13:28):
Here's a recap of what we've covered so far.
You ready? Yeah #1 authenticity is the real
cool. Ditch the mask. #2 fear of
judgment. Total buzzkill. #3 comfort zones
escape them like your soul depends on it.
And #4 adventure, now that's your secret elixir.
(13:51):
All right, what's up next? We are talking about breaking up
with society's boring rule book and writing one that actually
feels like you. So stay loud, stay lit, and keep
your heart in sports mode. Lights too short for beige?
We'll see you next segment, preferably on a beach,
(14:12):
scribbling truth on the back of a napkin with a pen that smells
like freedom. All right, Erica, it's time to
(14:34):
kick over the beach chair and get real.
Let's do it. Let me ask you something, OK?
Whose script were you living before you lit it on fire?
Oh. You are like coming in hard
today, but yeah, OK. Truth.
I spent years following a life plan.
I didn't write parents, schools,plural society.
(15:00):
It was like they they handed me a laminated brochure titled How
to Be Acceptable the Lifetime Edition.
Oh yeah, I got that same brochure.
You got that? Yeah, you know the one.
Graduate, work hard, blend in, don't rock the boat, retire
quietly and disappear politely. Like seriously, are we people or
(15:22):
toasters? Right.
That's not life. That's a warranty plan, people.
Somewhere along the way, we started mistaking obedience for
purpose. And they traded joy for comfort.
But here's the truth. Tell it to us.
Those rules are pure fiction. They were pinned by people who
never met your soul. They don't know your fire, they
(15:45):
don't know your playlist, and the sure as hell don't know what
you're here to become. They definitely don't know about
the dream you've stashed in the back of your mind waiting for
someday like it's a real date onthe calendar.
So. So let's put it out there, plain
and bold. Whose rules are you still living
(16:05):
by? Your families?
That old boss who thought you were too extra are the ghost of
some cultural trend that said aging means shrinking.
Shrink, please. We're not here to shrink.
We've decided that for sure. We are here to expand.
Aging heroes don't tiptoe. We sail along, preferably in
(16:26):
bold colors, with music playing and 0 apologies.
So here's our decree. Burn the brochure, rewrite the
script, make it weird, and make it yours.
Let's bust a big giant myth while we're at it, OK?
Sure. The lie that if you don't start
(16:47):
something by your 30s, it's too late.
That one right there, that myth,has robbed the world of so many
brilliant things. Stories, ideas, recipes,
inventions, songs. I mean, come on, people are out
here launching businesses in their 60s, learning to dance in
(17:08):
their 70s, they are snowboardingin their 80s, and these people
are making headlines, OK? Colonel Sanders, your favorite.
Oh God. Didn't get his chicken empire
poppin until he was 6262 years old.
The man fried his way through 1000 rejections before the world
(17:31):
embraced those 11 herbs and spices.
All right, so what's stopping usfrom painting, dancing,
launching, laughing louder? Nothing.
Nothing but imaginary deadlines and crusty expectations.
Yep, the story ain't over, folks.
The ink's still wet and you're still holding the pan.
So I say, let's say it together.It's not.
(17:53):
Too late, it's right on time. Now let's talk about the unsung
superhero trait of all aging heroes.
Curiosity. Oh yes, curiosity is the
champagne of the soul. You ever meet someone who just
gave up on learning new stuff? Yeah, I don't get that.
Like they put a closed for renovation sign on their spirit.
(18:18):
I think it's tragic. It is.
I honestly don't understand that.
They stop asking questions, theystop exploring, they let routine
wrap around them like a cocoon of boredom and suddenly lifes
just bland. But the real ones, they stay
curious. They try new things, ask hard
questions. They don't say I already know,
(18:42):
they say tell me more. OK, so let's give them a
curiosity starter pack. All right, dish it out.
First, ask yourself what else could be true.
I like. That ask what haven't I tried
and then finally ask why the hell not Boom.
Right there will keep your soul from I'm going stale.
(19:05):
Right on those three things. Curiosity doesn't just keep you
young, it's going to keep you lit.
It's going to keep you relevant.OK, so let's flip another
expectation on its back. OK, what counts as adventure?
Because people hear adventure and they think it's going to
involve things like skydiving, camel tracks or quitting your
(19:29):
job to open a vegan surf shop inTulum.
What's? Hey man, if that's her jam, go
for. It go for it.
But adventure doesn't have to bebig.
That's the case. It just has to be real.
Yeah. It's saying yes when you
normally say. Adventure can be as simple as
salsa dancing in your kitchen can be.
(19:49):
Trying that weird Thai chili recipe?
Could be starting a podcast withyour BFF after 50 sound from it.
Or after 60. That's right.
Or taking yourself out to dinner, ordering dessert first.
Yeah, and toasting your own damnresilience.
(20:10):
It's about aliveness. That's bark that says I'm still
in it, still hungry, still here.So here's your Aging Heroes
challenge #3. Do one thing this week that
feels like an adventure. It can be big, it can be small,
(20:32):
it can be loud or quiet. Just make it real and make it
yours. Because this isn't the dress
rehearsal this right now, it's the show.
And let me just tell you guys, it's got a killer soundtrack.
With a few spilled drinks and impromptu dance breaks along the
way. All right, let's break it down
(20:53):
like we're holding court at a beach bar.
All right, the session is in. Here's your Segment 3 recap.
Number one, stop living by otherpeople's scripts.
Burn a damn brochure. #2 it's never too late to start, ever.
#3 Curiosity is your spiritual skin care, apply it daily.
(21:16):
And #4 adventure isn't far away.It's literally one bold yes
away. Coming up next, we are diving
into what it means to build a community that actually gets you
people who don't just tolerate your growth.
They pour champagne on it and say go higher baby.
(21:41):
Because you don't need cheerleaders, you need Co
conspirators, People who carry your dream when it gets too
heavy. So don't, damn, don't disappear.
Keep that head high, your flip flops flapping and your spirit
wide open. Because aging heroes don't
retreat and redefine, and the world's just getting good.
(22:20):
All right, Rusty, today we're diving into something that makes
or breaks the whole damn vibe. You are talking about the
circle. Yes, Sir.
The crew, the people in your boat that are either rowing with
you or poking holes in the bottom.
Those are the ones. And that's the thing.
(22:40):
You can do all the meditating, green smoothie sipping and
vision boarding you want, but ifyou're surrounding yourself by
folks who drain your spirit likea cracked coconut, you're sunk,
right? Yes, you could be sipping top
shelf rum on a 5 star hammock, but if the folks nearby are
(23:01):
complaining about the weather and why happiness isn't really
this Dick after 50, your vibes getting hijacked.
Energy is contagious, you becomethe energy you're surrounded by.
So the question is, are your people pouring sunlight into you
or are they low key storm clouding you?
(23:24):
If they complain all the time and treat every possibility like
a problem, don't be surprised when your joy starts
evaporating. But when you've got people who
stretch themselves, who laugh atfear, who take joy seriously,
that kind of energy sticks to your bones.
(23:47):
And it lifts you. It's like a good guitar solo at
the golden hour. It's like a breeze off the ocean
that reminds you that you are alive.
I say let's put it in sand terms.
You're climbing the steep, dude.Do you want people yelling?
Careful, you're too old. Or do you want people shouting?
(24:12):
Hell yeah, look at you go. Man, I want the ones with beach
towels and bullhorn screaming you're a legend.
That's who I want. That same, same the right people
don't just tolerate your growth.They cheer for it, you know,
they celebrate it. They say I see who you're
(24:33):
becoming and I'm not letting yousettle for less.
That's why, as aging heroes, we don't build our circle out of
convenience, we build it with intention.
That's right. We're talking about alignment
over proximity. No more.
We go way back. If way back is holding you back,
(24:53):
your time is too precious. We talked about that.
You're light. It's real.
So build a circle that that calls your soul forward.
People who hand you courage whenyou're low and who remind you
who the hell you are when you forget.
And here's the thing, we're not static creatures.
We're not stuck in the role we picked when we were 25 and
(25:16):
trying to impress people that we're not even connected to now.
Reinvention is our birthright. It's not just possible, it's
essential. Say it louder for the folks
folding laundry in their self doubt.
Invention is not a fluke. It's not rare.
It's how you stay alive on the inside.
(25:38):
Colonel Sanders was 62. Vera Wang was 40 before she got
started. Julia Child was in her late 40s
before she even learned to saute.
Julia Child and. Tama a Wantanabe climbed Mount
Everest at 63. That's bad ass.
Yes, the people who say that ship has sailed.
(26:01):
Dude we build new ships with much better cruise.
Reinvention's not about age, it's about mindset.
So stay open, stay flexible and you know, try mamba dancing at
73 or learn the bass guitar one sexy riff at a time.
That sounded sexy. True.
Because let's be honest, the alternative is sitting on the
(26:23):
same couch telling the same story about why you didn't do
the thing. And that story?
That's going to get heavy. Yeah, All right, so, so let's go
to one of my favorite mindset flips.
Oh, take us there. It's the power of yes.
Yes. Most folks walk through life
defaulting to no. Would you agree?
(26:44):
Yeah. No, I've never done that.
No, that sounds too risky. Or no, I don't want to look
foolish. And what happens is their world
gets smaller, their life shrinks, they're spark dims and
till they're barely glowing. But the second you start saying
yes, all of a sudden now the world opens you.
(27:07):
You meet new people, you try newthings.
You can remember and feel that you you've got a pulse and a
purpose. Anias Nin said life expands or
shrinks based on your courage. That's beautiful.
We're not saying say yes to every invite or every
(27:27):
obligation. No, we're talking about what
we'd call the the sacred yes, the yes that makes your chest
feel fuller, the one that makes your smile arrive before your
brain can even argue. The yes, that feels like a beach
bonfire in your gut. Mm hmm.
Say yes to that road trip, to that writing workshop, to the
(27:49):
salsa class with strangers. And absolutely say yes to
yourself. Aging heroes don't watch life
from the sideline, we jump in. So here we are, Rusty.
Last segment of this episode. But it's not a farewell, it's a
launch sequence. Amen.
We are not winding down. We are gearing up.
(28:10):
We've thrown the old scripts into a beach bonfire and toasted
marshmallows over the ashes. Hmm.
That sounds pretty delicious. Because we know this much The
people you keep around you matter.
Your evolution matters. Your yeses, they matter.
And none of it's accidental. You don't become an aging hero
(28:32):
by luck, you become one by choice.
All right guys, so here's your Aging Heroes challenge #4 do
something today that aligns withyour future self.
It might be starting something, it might be ending something,
could be anything, but whatever it is, let it be true.
(28:53):
Mark this moment. This is where the shift happens,
when you stop drifting and startdesigning the life that fits
your fire. All right everyone, here's a
recap. Like coconut Cliff Notes.
Your circle shapes your spark, so pick people who grow with
you. And #2 reinvention is not rare,
(29:15):
it's required. #3 Say yes to whatever excites your soul.
And #4 this moment, it's not theend, it's your beginning.
All right, so here is an aging Hero challenge roll call.
Let's do it. Flip a negative belief about
(29:39):
aging. Prove it wrong.
Pick an adventure you've been avoiding and go do it.
Say yes to one bold, beautiful thing.
And take aligned action today. Begin the life you want.
All right, here's a final thought.
Aging isn't about decline. It's about reclamation.
(30:02):
Can you say that for US one moretime?
I like that one. Aging is not about decline.
It's not. It's about reclamation.
You're not running out of time, you're stepping into it.
If this episode hit your heart, it spoke to you.
Share it. Text a friend, tag us and go
(30:23):
follow us on Instagram and Facebook at Aging Heroes.
You can also find our full tribeat www.agingheroes.com.
And remember, cool isn't about how you look, it's about how you
live. So live big, laugh often and
love like your joy is non negotiable.
(30:47):
Until next time, aging heroes, stay salty, stay soulful, and
stay in motion. We'll see you.
Next time.
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