Best Lou Blaser Podcasts (2024)

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229. Can We Talk About Grief? with Charlene Lam 53:28

8d ago53:28

53:28

This episode is brought to you by We're All Getting Older, a publication and a community for midlifers who want to get better as they get older. I am joined by Charlene Lam, grief coach, speaker, and founder of the Grief Gallery. This is a wide-ranging conversation about "processing" our grief after the death of a loved one. We talked about the com…

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228. Experiments on Slowing Down Time 13:26

23d ago13:26

13:26

This episode is brought to you by We're All Getting Older, a publication and a community for midlifers who want to get better as they get older. As a follow-up to the previous episode with Yvonne Marchese (Ep 228: Can we slow down time?), I'm sharing further thoughts about time — why it feels like it's moving too fast, where this sense of time urge…

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227. Can We Slow Down Time? A Conversation with Yvonne Marchese 50:45

1M ago50:45

50:45

This episode is brought to you by We're All Getting Older, a publication and a community for midlifers who want to get better as they get older. Do you feel like time's rushing by so fast? Do you wish you could slow it down, just a bit, so you can enjoy the days or even just catch your breath? In this episode, my good friend and author of In Full B…

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226. The Purpose of Liminal Spaces During Midlife Transitions 16:03

2M ago16:03

16:03

This episode is brought to you by We're All Getting Older, a publication and a community for midlifers who want to get better as they get older. In this episode, we discuss the concept of midlife portals and the importance of liminal spaces during life transitions. Inspired by Jen Berlingo's book "Midlife Emergence," I explore the metaphor of doorw…

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225. Finding Our Way Through Major Life Changes and the Midlife Emergence with Jen Berlingo 53:55

2M ago53:55

53:55

I'm joined by Jen Berlingo, author of Midlife Emergence, to discuss the transformative journey of midlife. We explore the concept of emergence as a positive reframe of the midlife crisis, emphasizing the opportunity to unveil one's authentic self. Jen discusses the second individuation process, the challenges of embracing change while managing life…

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224. Settling Into Olderhood and Finding Our New Way Forward with Paul Long 52:41

3M ago52:41

52:41

"A lot of people get old because they think they're supposed to." Former award-winning television journalist and Emmy-Award-winning producer/writer/director Paul Long shares his midlife career transitions and his "new way forward" — one that is ideal for him, that takes advantage of the new realities of longevity and the new phase of life he calls …

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223. How Do You Prepare to Retire From a Career You Love with Merle Saferstein 34:17

4M ago34:17

34:17

How do you prepare to leave a job or career that you love? Merle Saferstein is an educator, speaker, author, and a pioneer in legacy journaling. After twenty-six years as a Holocaust educator, where she worked with hundreds of Holocaust survivors, helping them to leave their legacy, she retired and created Living and Leaving Your Legacy®. In this e…

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222. How To Master Ourselves Through Difficult Situations with Vivek Chakrabortty 1:01:40

4M ago1:01:40

1:01:40

Vivek Chakrabortty, CEO and Founder of The Kavi Group, a crisis management and business continuity consulting firm, "worked on himself" for years, combining influences from Catholicism, Stoicism, Vedanta, Buddhism, and mindfulness, to come up with his own 3-step philosophy for managing and mastering himself. In this episode, he walks us through eac…

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221. The One About Change, Getting Older, The Things We Can (and Cannot) Control 8:41

5M ago8:41

8:41

A quick episode to share some big news in my world and riff on the topic of change — whether or not we actually hate change. (Spoiler alert: I don't think we do, actually.) FOOTNOTES We're All Getting Older (and why I'm changing names) Hop on the WAGO wagon ------------ Connect with Lou Blaser on LinkedIn Subscribe to We're All Getting Older, a wee…

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220. Sustaining Our Drive and Ambition as We Get Older with Kathy Oneto 46:14

5M ago46:14

46:14

Do we stop being ambitious as we get older? What happens to the drive we've always had once we retire? In this episode of Second Breaks, I explore ambition with Kathy Oneto, the founder of Sustainable Ambition and host of The Sustainable Ambition podcast. Kathy shares the results of her research and insights from numerous interviews on this topic. …

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219. Deathbed Wisdom for a Happier Life with Dr. Kathy Zhang 47:56

5M ago47:56

47:56

In this podcast episode, I am joined by Dr. Kathy Zhang, a physician specializing in hospice and palliative care. I follow Kathy on LinkedIn, where she regularly posts wisdom that she's gained from speaking with thousands of people in the last moments of their lives. One specific post caught my attention, and I thought the points she shared were br…

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218. Let's Make This The Best Year Yet: Goals for 2024 14:29

6M ago14:29

14:29

Happy New Year, my dear listener friend! I'm more excited than ever to tackle my life and work goals this year. 2023 ended up being about clarifying direction and intentions — although I didn’t know that back in January 2023! As I welcome 2024, I can feel the difference. I have a better understanding of where I want to move toward and a clearer pat…

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217. Year-End Reflections and Key Takeaways From 2023 14:52

6M ago14:52

14:52

For the last three years, I've been capturing key takeaways from the year that's about to end. I only regret not starting this practice earlier; it's a powerful way to gain wisdom from our experiences. So, as we wrap up 2023, I'm excited to share with you some personal insights and lessons I've gathered this year. I would love to hear about your ke…

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216. A Conversation About Growth with Yvonne Marchese 48:05

7M ago48:05

48:05

One of the things I’ve been reflecting on more and more is my personal growth in midlife and this stage in my life. In the book that I’m writing, there’s an entire chapter on what it means to continue to grow as we get older. So, of course, I wanted to have a chat about this topic with my good friend and frequent collaborator, Yvonne Marchese, who …

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215. [Dear Lou] Family Tension Following Retirement 9:59

8M ago9:59

9:59

I'm excited to introduce a new format for this episode, "Dear Lou", where I'll be sharing questions from listeners or readers of Midlife Cues, as well as my responses. Our first 'Dear Lou' episode takes us into a story about the complexities of transitioning from a demanding career to retirement. I recently received an email from a listener about h…

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214. Living Our Legacy with Merle Saferstein 44:25

8M ago44:25

44:25

"An unexamined life is not worth living." The famous quote has been attributed to Socrates, the person that many believe valued the pursuit of wisdom more than anyone else in history. With this quote, Socrates implied that examining and understanding our lives is of utmost importance — essentially, for us to have the wisdom about ourselves and the …

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213. [Curveball Series] When You're Forced to Retire From Your Corporate Career with Roberto Seif 23:05

9M ago23:05

23:05

"My entire profession changed drastically from one day to the other. And I started feeling like I didn't know where I fit anymore. I didn't know what I'm good at anymore." Roberto Seif is a former innovation strategist who experienced forced retirement from his corporate career. Roberto's story is not uncommon in today's world, where companies freq…

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212. How Our Definition of Success Change As We Get Older 10:48

10M ago10:48

10:48

In my younger years, I used to measure success based on external and quantifiable metrics. Job promotions, titles, salary, and material possessions were the yardsticks I used to gauge my achievements. However, as I've grown older and retired from my corporate career, my perspective on success has shifted. In this episode, I discuss the six common e…

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211. How Much Money is Enough to Be Happy in Retirement with Luke Mathers 16:55

10M ago16:55

16:55

If you ever thought that if you were set financially and money was no issue, you would retire immediately and just enjoy life, you might want to listen to this episode. I had the pleasure of chatting with Luke Mathers, a two-time retiree and successful entrepreneur. Luke shares his experience of retiring at a young age, after selling his lucrative …

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210. Retirement is Dead, Long Live Retirement (Modern Retirement, That Is!) 19:02

10M ago19:02

19:02

In this episode, we discuss the key themes and characteristics of modern retirement, as well as the changing attitudes towards work and purpose in midlife. We explore the desire to continue working after retirement, the need for additional income due to longevity, and the shift toward making a difference and leaving a legacy. Friends of the pod and…

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209. The Modern Retiree Manifesto: A Framework for Retiring in the 21st Century 13:53

11M ago13:53

13:53

This week, we're wrapping up the special series on Modern Retirement. In previous episodes, we've talked about why reframing retirement is a necessary must-do. I've shared my messy retirement journey. And we've discussed the 7 skills we need to navigate retirement in the 21st century. Today, I want to walk you through a framework that I've been wor…

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208. Beyond Financials: The Skills We Need To Navigate Retirement in the 21st Century 26:21

11M ago26:21

26:21

EPISODE SUMMARY This is the third episode in our series on Modern Retirement in the 21st century. The traditional idea of retirement as a life of rest and leisure is no longer appealing to many people, and slogans like "Never Retire" have gained popularity. In previous episodes, we've discussed why we need to reframe retirement and actively reshape…

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207. My Unplanned, Messy, and Chock-Full O'Lessons Retirement Story 14:48

12M ago14:48

14:48

EPISODE SUMMARY It's difficult to talk about the mess when you're in the middle of the mess. This is the "true" story behind my retirement story - i.e., what happened when (and why) I left my corporate career. It's recorded with the benefit of hindsight, of course, and only with some distance that enabled some reflection and connecting of dots. My …

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206. What Even Is Retirement Anymore? Should Retirement Still Be A Goal? 17:14

12M ago17:14

17:14

EPISODE SUMMARY Retirement in the 21st century looks and feels different from how our parents experienced their retirement. It’s even going to be different from how we, once upon a time, might have imagined ourselves retiring. And while the loudest messages out there about retirement are all about financial security, investment strategies, and grow…

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205. [Midlife Well-Being] Keeping Our Brains Healthy with Allison Liu 40:50

1y ago40:50

40:50

EPISODE SUMMARY Are you concerned about your brain health and the risk of cognitive decline? Do you believe that memory loss is a natural part of aging? In this episode, I interview brain health professional Allison Liu, who shares practical steps to protect and improve our brain health. We discuss the importance of taking care of our brains, debun…

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204. [Midlife Well-Being] Sexual Health with Dr. Alyssa Dweck, MD 43:26

1y ago43:26

43:26

EPISODE SUMMARY Do you believe that sex after menopause is always painful and that your sexual life will never be the same again? If so, you may be surprised to learn that these are just some of the common misconceptions surrounding sex after menopause. In this episode, Dr. Alyssa Dweck, MD, discusses these misconceptions and provides valuable insi…

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203. [Midlife Well-Being] Stress Relief Principles with Shulamit Ber Levtov 43:01

1y ago43:01

43:01

EPISODE SUMMARY Stress is a common experience that affects our physical, mental, and emotional well-being, especially in midlife. But unfortunately, only a few have been taught to manage stress effectively. As a result, how to deal with stress is often one of those things we fumble our way around through life! In this episode, we're continuing our …

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202. [Midlife Well-Being] Intermittent Fasting with Laurie Lewis 55:18

1y ago55:18

55:18

EPISODE SUMMARY This is the first episode in a series on Midlife Health and Well-Being. I am joined by Laurie Lewis to discuss the benefits of intermittent fasting for midlifers and particularly for women going through menopause. As an expert on the topic, Laurie shares her personal experience with menopause and how intermittent fasting helped her.…

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201. Gratitude During Periods of Curveballs and Uncertainty with Holly Bertone 44:05

1y ago44:05

44:05

EPISODE SUMMARY I think it’s safe to say we would rather be in a state of gratitude than not. It’s also safe to assume that we know — even if we may not be aware of the actual science behind it — that having a gratitude practice is beneficial to our well-being. However, I must confess that I struggle with maintaining a consistent gratitude practice…

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200. You’ve Come A Long Way Baby: A Conversation About Change with Yvonne Marchese 39:36

1y ago39:36

39:36

EPISODE SUMMARY This is the official 200th episode of Second Breaks! I'm practically twisting myself around and patting myself on the back for reaching this milestone. But I don't want to just celebrate reaching a specific number. I want to mark the progress that I've made in life since I started this show. We all know change is the one thing that'…

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199. Working Midlifers: How To Prepare for the AI Disruption 20:01

1y ago20:01

20:01

EPISODE SUMMARY Well, folks, it’s hard to ignore the big news these days about ChatGPT and AI. Although we’ve been using AI for a while now, many of us have thought it was still a ways off from becoming truly disruptive. But now, with the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 and GPT-4 in March 2023, we’ve entered a new phase of development where AI o…

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198. [Curveball Series] Delayed Reactions with Stephanie Dethlefs 38:41

1+ y ago38:41

38:41

EPISODE SUMMARY: We don’t always recognize a curveball when we get hit by one. We don't see that we need to change and make some adjustments. Instead, we ignore it, deny it, or fight to keep things status quo. That is until it becomes glaringly obvious that some change is required. In this episode, I chat with Stephanie Dethlefs, whose curveball re…

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197. Midlife is a Call to Action: When Curveballs Hit (Part 2) 22:38

1+ y ago22:38

22:38

EPISODE SUMMARY: This is the second part of the conversation on why midlife is a call to action for change. If you haven't listened to Part 1 (Ep 195), I suggest you start there! In this episode, I tackle the subject of "unexpected change" or what I call curveballs — events that disrupt our lives, sometimes even reshaping and changing their traject…

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196. What and When is Midlife with Bernie Borges 24:25

1+ y ago24:25

24:25

EPISODE SUMMARY: This week's guest is Bernie Borges, Producer and Host of the Midlife Fulfilled podcast. Bernie shares his perspective on what (and when!) midlife is — which is quite non-traditional, bordering on controversial! I expect it will generate some reactions, no doubt. I’m also sharing my own thoughts and definition of midlife. Although n…

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195. Midlife is a Call to Action: The Case for Midlife Change (Part 1) 15:11

1+ y ago15:11

15:11

In the season opener, Lou Blaser makes the case that midlife is a call to action for change. This is a two-parter conversation, and in this episode, Lou talks about why midlife change is necessary and inevitable and why this change is certainly not a crisis. You can read the full text of this episode here. Connect with Lou Blaser on LinkedIn. Subsc…

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BONUS: Podcast Goals and What's Next for 2023 6:44

1+ y ago6:44

6:44

In this bonus episode, I share my plans and goals for the podcast for the year. FOOTNOTES: Connect with Lou Blaser on LinkedIn. Subscribe to Midlife Cues, a weekly newsletter about intentional living in midlife.By Lou Blaser

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BONUS: Five Lessons I'm Taking Away From 2022 17:33

1+ y ago17:33

17:33

Contrary to popular opinion, wisdom does not come with age. It is the act of sitting down and reflecting on our own experiences that creates wisdom. And one powerful exercise we can do to capture that wisdom is to reflect on the lessons we're taking away from our experiences in the past year. Before you get too busy with your 2023 goals and plans, …

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BONUS: How Different Are You From The 20-Year Old Version Of Yourself? 11:55

1+ y ago11:55

11:55

Have you ever looked back and considered how different you are today from the 20-year-old version of yourself? This is a question that I ask all my guests on the podcast. And I’m always blown away by the thoughtfulness of their answers. In this short bonus episode, I’ve compiled the responses of my guests this year so you can listen to all of their…

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194. Want to spice up your year-end review process? Try these 3 atypical questions. 21:54

1+ y ago21:54

21:54

Many of us conduct some kind of a year-end review process sometime in December. My process has evolved a lot over the years, but I’ve been sitting down to do an annual review religiously since my corporate years. I’m always looking for ways to keep my process relevant to wherever I am in life. I also work to spice it up so things don’t get boring a…

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193. A Case Study in Personal Growth and Transformation with Vivek Chakrabortty 56:38

1+ y ago56:38

56:38

A singular event rarely transforms a person. True transformation occurs over time and usually, after a series of events that shakes one's world view. ABOUT MY GUEST: Vivek Chakrabortty is the CEO and Founder of The Kavi Group, a crisis management and business continuity consulting firm that supports some of the largest firms in the world today. He …

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192. When You Must Do a Major Life Makeover in Midlife with Lori Saitz 40:50

1+ y ago40:50

40:50

I’ve come to regard midlife as a kind of fresh start or rather, we can choose to approach it as a fresh start. This is a time in our lives when we can pause and really review where we are and think about how we want the second half of our lives to work out, and then really refocus our energy toward that. For many of us, that means choosing to chang…

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191. Spotting Fear and Navigating Difficult Conversations with Nancy Burger 39:12

1+ y ago39:12

39:12

We've all avoided having an important conversation because of fear. Often, we do so because we don’t have the tools — we don’t know where and how to begin. We don’t have the words or the vocabulary to discuss an important topic. Sometimes, it’s because we’ve been burned in the past when a difficult conversation went awry. I also feel like the older…

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190. Pushing Out of the Comfort Zone and Doing Your Brave Thing with Yvonne Marchese 45:26

1+ y ago45:26

45:26

While I have pursued many “big” projects and taken on risks head-on, there are still many things that I hold myself back from because of fear. Sometimes, it’s because I don’t feel ready. The worst is when I hesitate because “who do I think I am that I could pull this thing off?” Recently, a good friend did one of these challenging public-facing pro…

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189. The Five Dimensions of Well-Being in Midlife with Ellen Kocher and Dominique Ben Dhaou 49:27

2y ago49:27

49:27

If I were ever granted a do-over, one thing I would do differently is to take my well-being seriously. Sadly, my well-being did not show up on my list of priorities when I was in my 20s, 30s, or even early 40s. In fact, I had previously confessed that the stupidest thing I ever said was, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead. Thankfully, some level of wisdom p…

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188. Redefining Our Self Image in Midlife with Karen Randall 37:33

2y ago37:33

37:33

In "Life is in the Transitions," Bruce Feiler writes about life quakes — those times in our lives when we have a massive burst of change that lead to a period of upheaval, transition, and renewal. Following the extensive research he conducted, Feiler concluded that, on average, we go through three to five of these events in our lives. And the avera…

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187. The Milestones We Must Celebrate in Midlife with Dara Goldberg 32:38

2y ago32:38

32:38

As we get older, there's a tendency to recognize fewer and fewer personal milestones. As my guest, Dara Goldberg, pointed out, "It's as though once we hit midlife, all growth has stopped." But by not marking and celebrating milestones, we are, in effect, supporting the prevailing narrative out there that we disappear as we age, that it’s all downhi…

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186. Decoding the Stories That Shaped Our Lives with Ronna Detrick 41:57

2y ago41:57

41:57

We’ve all heard about stories. Storytelling is having its heyday. Everyone is invoking the word so much so that it’s beginning to lose its meaning which is what happens when everyone and their uncles use it in every conceivable way. But the way Ronna Detrick talks about our stories — those stories that have shaped our lives — is in a different cate…

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185. Discovering a New and Different 'You' in Midlife with Diane Diaz 35:24

2y ago35:24

35:24

Most of the time, we try to plan for change rationally and meticulously. We think about what we want to do, where we want to go or end up, and how we want to go there. But there’s something to be said about serendipity. For opening ourselves to discovering a path we didn’t even know was a possibility. For holding plans loosely and setting a differe…

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184. Empty Nest: How to Prepare For This Major Life Transition with Karen Herbert 46:32

2y ago46:32

46:32

Those of us who are parents will be familiar with the mélange of emotions that comes when it’s time for the kids to leave the nest — whether that’s to college or to begin their adult life away from us. In this episode, I talk with transitions life coach Karen Herbert to explore how parents can best manage themselves during some of the most challeng…

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183. Therapy or Coaching: What Kind of Help Do You Need with Nicole Lewis-Keeber 51:45

2y ago51:45

51:45

The idea of seeking and getting help has become more acceptable in society, in general. More people today are open to talking about their experiences. And the stigma for getting professional help has greatly been diminished, if not entirely eliminated. There has been an explosion in the field of coaching over the last few years. And the result of a…

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