The New Old- How to Craft Your Best Later Life with Erika Andersen

Episode Summary

What if aging wasn’t something to fear… but something to design? In this empowering conversation, bestselling author and leadership expert Erika Andersen introduces the radical idea at the heart of her new book The New Old: that your “third act” can be your most vibrant chapter yet.

Drawing from research, decades of coaching experience, and her own personal reinvention, Erika breaks down the three guiding principles for aging well: Be the boss of your life, master your mindset, and get good at change. We explore how internalized ageism limits people long before their bodies do, why curiosity keeps the brain young, and the surprising research that shows mindset alone can add an average of 7.6 years to your life.

From reframing what “midlife” actually means to learning entirely new skills in your seventies, this episode reframes aging as a deeply personal, totally customizable adventure. If you’re in your 50s, 60s, 70s — or simply planning ahead — this joyful rebellion against age stereotypes will encourage you to write your own story all the way through.

Show Notes and Chapters

00:00 — The truth about agency in later life

00:52 — Rebelling against aging stereotypes

01:20 — Who is Erika Andersen? Introducing The New Old

02:40 — What “third act” really means

04:05 — Why Erika shifted from leadership books to aging well

05:18 — Pandemic reflections and redefining her own future

06:12 — The new reality: people are living longer than ever

07:30 — Surprising research on longevity and mindset

09:02 — How aging looks different today

10:23 — Erika’s move to Spain & learning Spanish in her late 60s

12:40 — The three principles of aging well

15:00 — Helping people who feel “out of ideas” post-career

19:10 — The role of mindset in shaping the third act

20:00 — The Yale mindset study: 7.6 years added

23:15 — The simple 3-step process to shift your self-talk

25:10 — Are younger generations less ageist?

27:00 — Companies trying (and failing) to market to boomers

29:00 — Curiosity as a lifelong anti-aging tool

33:00 — How to “modify gracefully” as life changes

36:00 — The importance of learning new things at any age

40:00 — What Spain gets right about old age

43:00 — Connection: the thread running through everything

44:55 — You control more about aging than you think

Resources 

• The New Old: Crafting Your Best Later Life — by Erika Andersen

• Erika’s website: Erika Andersen, Nationally-Known Business Thinker & Author

• Erika’s Substack: The New Old