Celebrating the Highlights of Season 5: The Art of Reinvention - Inspiring Stories of "Do It Scared" Reinvention Rebels, Amazing Women Over 50!

Remember when your limits were only as far as your imagination could take you?

When you believed you could be anything and age was merely a number?

Well, hold on tight as we take you on a memorable journey, celebrating extraordinary women who haven't just dared to dream, but have reinvented themselves to turn those dreams into reality.

Age is just a number for these inspiring women who have all broken the mold and rewritten the narrative of what aging truly means. 

Were they scared? Heck yes! But they didn't let that stop them!

These stories of reinvention will fill you with awe and they may just  ignite a spark within you:

✅Wendy Green, 69,  hosts Hey, Boomer live podcast
✅Patricia Melton, Reinvention-ista at 63
✅Michelle Fishburne, 12K Mile Solo RV Trek during COVID
✅Randye Kaye, Reinvention (Again!) at 70
✅Dahlia Douglas-Ingram, Instagram "Fit-fluencer" at 55
✅Robin Salls, Created first-ever magazine for silver-haired women
✅Ana Tajder, Breakdown + Intuition = Midlife Reinvention
✅Kathy Murray, Award-winning triathlete at 62
✅Jenn Baljko, 3-year trek from Bangkok to Barcelona
✅Ellen Pankey, 74, Reinvention after life-threatening accident
✅Lisa Franco, antique shop + WWII love letters = first-time author at 66

This season finale episode is about taking control of your destiny, challenging the norm, and daring to live the amazing life you so richly deserve  (Yes, YOU!) despites obstacles in your way.

It's time we flip the script on ageism, embrace possibility, and keep shining our light in the world.

When one woman reinvents to see new possibilities, she signals to the rest of us that we can do it too, in our own unique way. These extraordinary women will help you see the light and get into action despite your fears.

Listen to this engaging highlights episode, then tune into each of these fierce and empowering reinvention stories, linked above.

And don't forget to download the Do It Scared, Do It Anyway Cheat Sheet.

Season 6 is coming soon. Until then, stay radiant, stay rebelicious and stay tuned!

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Transcript

0:00:01 - Speaker 1
Hey, reinvention Rebels, welcome to another episode of the podcast, but not just any episode. Thank you for joining me for this Season 5 Highlights episode. How is it possible that I'm already finishing Season 5? Say what I marvel at the amazing women I've had the privilege and honor to speak with on the podcast over 5 seasons. This season was no exception. I brought you powerful Reinvention stories, remarkable stories of mindset shifts, self-permission and looking within to fuel Reinventions. That meant living on purpose and the thing they all have in common. This season's theme do it scared and do it anyway. 

Each of these extraordinary women took action despite being scared. They took that first unsure step, not knowing the outcome. Would it work out? Would they feel like a failure? Would they achieve their dreams? What sets them apart from those that may be on the sideline? They were willing to dip their toe in to explore the possibilities, and they knew that they couldn't fail Because, even if it didn't work out the way they hoped or expected, there was amazing learning along the way. They recognize that the journey of reinventing ourselves is just as important as the outcome. There is deep joy in the journey because it's all about self-discovery and gaining confidence as we find our way in midlife and beyond. They remind me that midlife is the most amazing opportunity to take our lives to the next level and consciously focus on the things we want to do Today. 

We're going to take a walk down memory lane with each of my guests in just a moment, but first I do want to mention that if you've made your way to the ReInvention Rebels podcast for the first time, perhaps in an unexpected way, I'm so excited you're here. What are ReInvention Rebels, you may ask? They are bold women between 50 and 90 who have reinvented themselves to find new purpose and possibilities in life. Women with big dreams and a limitless mindset for what they can create. Women who believe that age, wisdom and stepping into their authentic selves is a delicious, empowering journey of self-discovery. You know how society often has a limited narrative about older women and what we can do Not. Here, these fearless, fierce women are flipping the script and eagerly embracing a second or third act with unabashed joy. They welcome aging and wisdom and appreciate where they've been and also where they are now. They embrace their age. They're going for it and not waiting until someday or someone to tell them it's okay. Today is their someday. 

Simply put, I offer up inspiration about what's possible, as your stories of women reinventing themselves to help you see possibilities for your own life. The stories of my guests may be different than your own. Seriously, I'm not ever going to be a triathlete like my friend Kathy in Atlanta, but these stories are so relatable. I won't be a triathlete, but Kathy's story inspires me to keep active in my own way. See what I mean. We can see a part of ourselves in other stories the journey, the struggles, the mindset shifts and the victories. So sit back and soak up some serious inspiration as we walk down memory lane, revisiting these fierce women and noodling on a sub theme of this year how failures are our friend, despite the fact that it doesn't feel that way, of course, in the moment. So are you ready for a walk down memory lane? I'm going to share a few highlights about each episode and I've linked to each one in the show notes, so I'm making it super simple to listen to each of these amazing women, either for the first time or because you just couldn't get enough and you want to listen again. Seriously, they make it easy to want to hear their stories over and over. They are that compelling and if you're a regular can't get enough of this podcast listener. How fun is it to walk down memory lane with me as I highlight each of these remarkable women and their inspiring reinvention stories. So let's get this. Reinvention Rebels season five highlights episode on the road. 

Season five kicked off in February with 69 year young rebel, Wendy Green. As I'm sure you already know, if she's named Wendy, she's got to be pretty awesome. I love that. Wendy started her podcast pay boomer in her late 60s and is crushing technology to make it happen. I easily slip into my tiny walking closet to record my episodes and private going live across multiple platforms, including LinkedIn and Facebook, on a weekly basis is a whole other level of commitment. But she's doing in the coolest ways and reminding boomers that anything is possible through the stories she shares. Check out what she has to say. Remember how I mentioned. 

The theme for this year is do it scared, do it anyway. I broke down what that means in this episode and why we shouldn't wait, why we should feel the fear and go for it as a guide on the side, reminder. You have special gifts that you need to share with the world. You got to get out there so people can soak up your wisdom. Here's a sneak peek. 

The following week I was crazy, inspired by my friend Patricia Melton. She's outrageously cool and I love how she calls herself a reinventionista. That's because she's become a reinvention pro. Having reinvented herself many times. She knows the importance of having a support network. Our writer dies with us on this journey. She shipped so much wisdom in this episode. Do you know that I broke down how to build your do it scare, do it anyway muscle? Yep, that was the next episode. I shared my not so secret equation to get your butt in gear and get moving, even with fear, because otherwise we may not do it at all. And I shared a super cool tool to help you get started with this my do it scare, do it anyway cheat sheet, which, of course, you'll find linked in the show notes. 

I've got questions for you to get you out of the starting block, to get you out of your head, to get you thinking more broadly and expansively. That can only be a good thing, right? Ever feel stuck as you're reinventing Michelle Fishburne, a nomad that traveled the US over 12,000 miles during the pandemic. She's got ideas, ideas about how to get unstuck that start within. I love this wise woman and her insights, and she should know she's had plenty of time to reinvent herself and find her gifts within, not to mention the beautiful book she wrote after interviewing hundreds of people as she traveled. Who are we now? Stories of what Americans lost and found during the COVID-19 pandemic? Her inner strength and wisdom will inspire you. 

One of the most important lessons I've learned over the years is that I can go further with the help of others, although sometimes I'm reluctant. But I've learned I don't have to do everything on my own. I love this brief solo episode where I delved into some really cool stuff Like how can you right size your reinvention when things go off track, or how do you even get started. Three reasons why you should ask for help so that, of course, you don't have to do it alone, and three reasons why a reinvention dream team can help you move forward. That reinvention dream team is key to helping you build the confidence you need to get out there and to keep going. There's lots of nuggets to get you thinking in this episode. 

Did you catch my interview with the dynamic Randy Kay? At 70, she is on fire in the coolest ways. This voice actor, author and podcast host is a reinvention pro. She shared such amazing wisdom about the power of curiosity to help guide us and that there's no age limit to reinventing ourselves. We just have to decide. We wanna do it Next up. 

I delved into a topic we sometimes want to ignore our changing midlife bodies. I know it's not always easy to go there, but there's exponential freedom in freeing our minds of our limiting mindsets about our bodies. I believe our midlife bodies are something special, something to be appreciated. They've allowed us to do so many things and what I love is that our bodies can be strong and fit in midlife and beyond. Speaking of fit midlife bodies, enter my amazing friend Delia. I adored this interview with her. I love how she listened to her gut, embraced her journey and transformed her life Literally. A super stressful job as a 911 operator and years of focus on her family meant, like so many of us, she pretty much ignored herself, but when she awoke to her magnificence and what's possible in reinvention, it was pure fire. She has reinvented herself in the coolest ways, becoming a 50 plus fit fluencer on Instagram, among many other things. 

Remember, when I mentioned that this season has a sub theme about failure, I didn't hesitate to spill a heap of beans about my own failures during three different episodes. In April, I shared how setbacks can propel us forward. They are necessary stepping stones to success, painful as they may be. In May, I shared about three powerful lessons I've gained from my failures. I swear my falling apart wasn't all for nothing, thank goodness. And in June, I shared how failure has filled me with gratitude. If I hadn't failed in the ways I did, I wouldn't have created this space for this podcast and many other things that unfolded in my life. It was an insightful mini series within season five, lots of little nuggets. If you haven't listened yet, I believe you can garner lots of helpful information based on me going off the rails and then getting back on again. I hope it can serve as some inspiration to keep going when you're feeling challenged. And I have a hunch, I'm not alone. I imagine most of us have had our share of failures, many that may have led to even better outcomes than we imagine. 

I had a fabulous interview with Robin Salls in April. Robin is the editor of Tangled Silver, a magazine that celebrates the silver-haired community. Going gray or not is such an individual choice. I think about it all the time for myself. I go backwards and forwards. There's really no right or wrong answer. This fierce reinvention rebel and the many women she features reminds us that gray hair is beautiful and the process of going gray is natural. I love how she talks about the power of hair courage when women choose to stop coloring their hair. I love my fellow women podcasters and always jump at the chance to interview each other. 

I had so much fun joining Anna on her podcast Thank you, mama, where she shares lessons daughters have learned from their mothers. I love sharing some of the wisdom I learned from my mom. And then Anna shared her compelling and fascinating mid-life reinvention story with me. She emphasized the power of saying yes and trusting your gut as you reinvent, and she has so many examples of how that manifested for her. She really reminds us that anything is possible. I also had the opportunity to interview Kathy Murray and soak up her reinvention wisdom. Like many other rebels, she's multi-talented and has many different interests. I love how her athletic abilities contributed to her many reinventions from a cheerleading coach when she immigrated to Germany to running her own fitness business, to now competing in triathlons at 62 and getting on that podium winning awards. Her story inspires me and makes me want to step up my own exercise routine a bit, but no triathlons, thank you very much. Can you imagine trekking across one continent to another over three years? It's honestly hard for me to wrap my head around this. Yet that's what Jen did. Bangkok, thailand, to Barcelona, spain, is an epic journey in my estimation, and creates an abundance of opportunities to reinvent yourself. You will love Jen's journey, how she leaned into joy and imagined new possibilities. 

I rounded out this amazing season of guests with two remarkable women. Ellen Penkey, 74, and Lisa Franco, 66, can light up a room with their inspiring reinvention stories. We talked reinvention by necessity, like when Ellen awoke out of a coma at 66 and had to relearn everything walking, talking, eating, writing. You get the idea and reinvention by choice. Lisa's compelling story of stumbling across a packet of World War II love letters in an antique store that changed the trajectory of her life and turned her into an author. There are so many different ways we can reinvent ourselves. They prove we can all find our path. So much wisdom was shared in this conversation and we did it live at the International Festival of Arts and Ideas with a live audience. It was pretty awesome. 

Season 5 was fire, inspiration, possibilities. It was about being scared to dream bigger, yet not letting it stop us from moving forward with our plans. It was about just doing it, even if things weren't perfectly aligned. It was trusting that a path would open up as we got started. It was about failing and then moving forward, often in better-suited ways. There are compelling lessons to be learned when we decide we're going to go for it and we want to reinvent All of these extraordinary women. Reinvention Rebels embody that spirit. 

Whether you're in your 50s, 60s, 70s or beyond, or perhaps younger, as evidenced by the clips you heard, possibility always exists to learn, grow and shine, to love your life at any age, to kick limiting narratives of aging women to the curb, to step into the light and shine like never before. Seriously, aging is pretty awesome when you're open to it. Whatever age you are, right now is a gift. Embrace the hell out of your amazing life. Rebels. 

It's time for yours truly to take a little time off. I'll be on hiatus for a bit, enjoying some of the summer, rejuvenating and planning for season 6. Yes, people, six, partably right. I can't wait to introduce you to more amazing women living on purpose and reinventing themselves in creative, bold ways as they age. As always, thank you for listening and rejoicing in the amazingness of midlife and older women. There is just so much to celebrate, and the good news is that inspiration is never far away. Just dial up an episode when you need a little Reinvention. Rebels, pick me up to remind you that you can make your dreams a reality. I can't wait to return with a new season of amazing women and insights about how we can rock midlife, find our inner Reinvention Raffle and shine like never before. We've so got this. Until next season, keep shining your light. The world needs you and all that you have to offer. 

Transcribed by https://podium.page