Women Over 70: Aging Reimagined

Mary Beth Berkoff, age 82, founded her own PR company in her late 50s—and she still knows how to spotlight what’s good. Long before that, she was a teacher, an injury-prevention pioneer, and a public-affairs leader who helped pass Illinois’s seatbelt and child-restraint laws. Those roles taught her resilience, resourcefulness, and, as she likes to say, that “if you can teach junior high students, you can do anything.”

Today, that sa...

Denise Poncher, 73, has spent her life noticing experiences that call her to create. A multidisciplinary artist—-creative writer, documentary photographer, custom art framer, collagist, fiber explorer—-she treats each medium as a path toward deeper understanding. Legacy writing now invites her to weave together difficult losses of significant people with joyful threads of being a nurturing grandmother. Once a painfully shy child, ...

From the moment you hear Lynn Hazan, 70, speak, one thing is unmistakable: performance isn’t just something she does — it’s the lens through which she experiences the world.

Born and raised in Canada, Lynn moves comfortably among French, English, and the Spanish and Hebrew she loves practicing. Her multicultural roots run deep: her parents were French citizens born in Egypt and Syria, and her Jewish faith has been a guiding force si...

Long a member of the Apostolic Church of God in the Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago, Darlene’s faith has been a constant even as she experiences the inevitable ups and downs of life.

At 71, Darlene’s serene manner shines through and she peppers her conversation with thoughtful musings based on living a life of scripture. And a successful life it has been, despite an unsettling bout with breast cancer - happily married, blessed wi...

When Laurel married in her late 50s, she never imagined she’d become her husband’s full-time caregiver just five years later. Now, twenty years into that journey, she calls it a blessing: “He is so easy to care for…. I have released early feelings of resentment, realizing that I’ve been training my whole life to do this.”

As Director of Strategic Initiatives for The Village Chicago, Laurel works mainly from home, crafting a monthly ...

Jody’s life reads like a movie—one she ultimately wrote and directed herself. Growing up in isolation and surviving severe trauma, she moved through poverty, rape, separation from siblings, and profound loss—the deaths of her mother, grandmother, and daughter. Yet Jody transformed her pain into purpose, becoming a mother, model, teacher, TV’s beloved adult facilitator on Romper Room, guidance counselor, and author. At 84, she achie...

Sophy Burnham has lived many creative lives—and she’s still expanding. Known as a deeply imaginative and award-winning author, Sophy has written 17 books across genres: novels and nonfiction, children’s stories, poetry, plays and radio dramas, essays, and journalism. Her groundbreaking 1990 New York Times bestseller, A Book of Angels, sparked a cultural wave of curiosity and conversation about divine presence and mystical experienc...

At 17, Karen Gershowitz caught the travel bug—and never looked back. She’s now explored 100 countries, often returning to dig deeper than the “Disney Lands” most tourists see. Her love of discovery led her from ceramics to international marketing and, eventually, to writing about her adventures. In her books, Travel Mania: Stories of Wanderlust and Wanderlust: Extraordinary People, Quirky Places, and Curious Cuisine, Karen shares s...

Judy Smith discovered that 70 would be the best year of her life after a devastating public humiliation at 67 by her now ex. Allowing herself to open up to new relationships, social engagement and creative expression, she discovered that life became richer and she felt blessed as gratitude filled her soul. No stranger to discomfort, Judy previously suffered from grand mal seizures and lived with the fear of having one while out in ...

Jan Golden is a one-woman force when it comes to changing how the media and greeting card agencies represent aging. For 4 years, Age-Friendly Vibes has featured cards, buttons, stickers and prints that reflect pro-aging sentiments. Active in the American Society on Aging, Changing the Narrative and the American Greeting Card Association, Jan’s passion to revolutionize how older people are represented on greeting cards is making wav...

At 81, Phyllis Rubin embodies tikkun olam—repairing the world. After her husband’s death, and during the pandemic and political upheaval, she stepped fully into activism. A “feet-on-the-ground” leader, with a collaborative style, Phyllis champions progressive politics, environmental sustainability, and vital community living for older adults. She earned her Psy.D. at 50, retired as an attachment-based therapist at 80, and continues...

Nicole J. Smith, Advocate, Dementia Daughter, Certified Senior Advisor and author of Diagnosis Dementia, was living 3,000 miles from her mother and didn't register the “weird things” she had witnessed her mother say and do over the past couple of years. That is, until these strange things escalated into a financial and legal situation that was not sustainable. The journey that followed upended Nicole’s life, took place across five ...

At 75, Kathleen (Kathy) Haney embodies resilience, purpose, and care. Family duties once slowed her college path, but persistence carried her to an undergraduate degree in occupational education and a graduate degree in vocational education administration. She went on to become the coordinator/director of dental hygiene and dental assisting at the community college and university levels. Her career spanned teaching, mentoring and s...

Only 12% of U.S. adults are metabolically healthy—a sobering statistic Christa Rymal wants to change. With her background in nursing and holistic health, Christa brings both clinical expertise and a whole-person perspective to women’s wellbeing. In this episode, she breaks down what “metabolic health” really means and why it matters as we age. From the science of sleep to the power of protein and muscle strength, Christa translates...

At 85, Anna Rappaport continues to defy expectations of aging. Once uncertain about her relevance, she went on to earn five lifetime achievement awards, including Trailblazers in Actuarial Science. Beyond her groundbreaking work in retirement research and policy, Anna embraces new chapters with creativity and purpose. After decades of balancing career, caregiving, and family, Anna rebuilt her life following her husband’s death, mov...

Jeannine Bryant is expert at helping seniors move. After you have lived in your home for so many years, you accumulate possessions that seem to identify who you are. Losing a partner or spouse certainly changes our lives. Leaving the place that we called home, together, can be very difficult. Jeannine understands every aspect. Through her website, EasyRightsizing.com she provides all the resources, classes and videos you, and other...

"Movement is the thread that weaves Jacqui Neurauter’s life together, even at 80. She believes movement has the power to transform life. Ever curious, her many pursuits often began with a comment, a book, or a conversation among friends. The suggestion of a new approach to movement would spark her curiosity, making her an avid researcher and lifelong student. Yoga led to belly dancing, which in turn led to her exploration of Feng S...

During her tenure as a successful entrepreneur and podcaster, Ande Lyons’ advice to young start-up founders was: “Don’t Be Caged by Your Age.” At age 66, she took her own advice. Ande shifted her focus to older people, especially women, with the mission to redefine what it means to thrive after 65. Ande exposes internal ageist beliefs and debunks myths that older women are no longer visible, connected, and contributing. Ande’s p...

Beverley Glazer, MA, is an ICF-Certified Transformational Coach,

Psychotherapist, and Strategic Consultant with over 35 years of experience

empowering individuals, companies, and communities navigate change.

She is the founder of Reinvent Impossible LLC, the umbrella company for

her services, including individual coaching, strategic consulting, and her

Internationally acclaimed podcast, Aging with Purpose and Passion, a bold

platform tha...