[Reinvention Rebels theme]

 Welcome to Reinvention Rebels, stories of brave and unapologetic women, 50 to 90 years young, who have boldly reimagined life, on their own terms, to find new purpose and possibilities. I'm your host, Wendy Battles. Ready for a dose of inspiration? Let's get to it. 

Hey, Reinvention Rebels, thank you for joining me on my first episode. This is where you can find me every two weeks talking to amazing women, who have reimagined their lives in their 50s, 60s, 70s, even 80s, and beyond. Today, it's just you and me. I want to introduce myself. Tell you what inspired me to start The Reinvention Rebels Podcast and share what you can expect to hear in coming episodes. It's going to be a fun ride. 

 First things first, I grew up in New Jersey and still have a warm spot in my heart for the town where I grew up, shoutout to Ridgewood. Fun fact, I met my best friend in nursery school when we were three. 52 years later, we're still going strong. One of my greatest joys is this special friendship. She's the sister I never had. I moved to Minnesota in high school. That was a shock. Both the frigid cold, we moved in the dead of winter, and the stunning lack of diversity. But I learned a lot and that's where I developed my passion for all things print. I went to college right outside of Chicago, but my heart has always been on the East Coast in my head. I'm a New Yorker, even though I've actually never really lived there, and I really live in Connecticut. 

 By day, I work in cybersecurity awareness helping educate people to stay safe online with simple strategies and approaches. During my career, I've worked in the nonprofit world, corporate world, higher education, I've been a consultant and also an entrepreneur. The truth is I'm more of a free spirit, but I thrive with some degree of structure. I'm curious, love to write and love to learn, and challenge myself to get out of my comfort zone, like competing in speech competitions. Outside of work, I'm an enthusiastic home chef. I love to entertain and enjoy spending time with my husband, family, and friends. And honestly, I can't get enough of Bollywood and Bhangra exercise videos on YouTube.

 I enjoy to just be quiet and do nothing which, as a busy person, seems strange but that's when I get my best ideas. And the pandemic, despite all the challenges, it has created a wonderful opportunity for me to be introspective and to reintroduce myself to me. I really do love public speaking although my what seems like forever-ago foray into standup comedy, well, let's just say that some things are better left to others. My biggest passion is using my voice for good to inspire women. I was a health coach for many years and loved seeing my clients bust through their barriers and achieve their goals. I also love writing my blog and using that as a vehicle to help women think differently about their health. I've reinvented myself many times during the course of my career and I learned that taking risks, even when the path wasn't always clear, lead to new opportunities, often ones I couldn't have even imagined. I bet you may have reinvented yourself multiple times too. Doesn't it just seem like what we do as women often trade positioning through multiple roles over the course of our lifetime?

Now that I'm 55, I'm in a different space looking ahead to the future and reimagining what life can look like. I am thinking big. I don't know about you, but I plan to age vibrantly, have new adventures, push myself in new ways, like my fascination with entering bodybuilding competitions for older women. Simply put, I want to be kickass as I age, feeling strong and empowered in body, mind, and spirit.

 [music] 

I created this podcast because I'm done with the limiting narrative about older women in our society, the narrative that's focused on all the things we're losing as we age. Nah, I don't think so and I'm not buying it. I see it differently. I see this as an amazing time where wise women, we can find our true voice and step into a new and exciting sense of freedom in a totally vibrant and badass way. My early inspiration about what it means to age vibrantly came from reading Essence magazine when I was younger. Each year, they had an issue that featured an array of beautiful black women, one from each decade. Not only were they aging beautifully on the outside, because you know, black don't crack, but from the inside as well. They were up to amazing things, living with joy and purpose, staying sharp mentally and pursuing their passions. I always knew I wanted to be like them. I call these women Reinvention Rebels. They're going for it, not holding back, claiming joy, unabashedly glowing, and embracing being older with reckless abandon. They are my heroes.

I also created this podcast, because I want to hear the stories of these women. I want to ask them questions. I want to know how they started down this path and what inspires them. I want to find out where they get stuck and how they keep going. I want to listen to the wisdom and see what resonates in my own life. I want to surround myself with women that inspire me, because I'm figuring it out too, right along with you. I'm finding my voice and expressing what I want, no apologies needed. At 55, I'm embracing my inner reinvention rebel and I have a hunch, amazing listener, that you just maybe too, no matter your age. Maybe you just don't know it yet. 

 [music]

 Here's what you can expect on The Reinvention Rebels Podcast. I'll be introducing a new episode every two weeks, interviewing guests while also doing some solo episodes on interesting topics. Over the course of Season 1, I'll introduce you to some amazing kickass women from a range of backgrounds and experiences. Like 57-year-young Barb, who used her experience in 12-step programs to inspire her to live her life with focused intention and purpose. And 67-year-young Sharon, who started her yoga practice at 60, does amazing and inspiring handstands. I want to do that too. And moved to Spain at 65 for retirement. And June who at 77 years young has used her insight and inspiration from the civil rights movement to create a nonprofit organization for young people focused on STEAM, science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. That is a collaboration with parties in South Africa. That's pretty darn cool. I certainly hope to include my 87-year-young mom, Elaine, who is my ongoing inspiration. 

 These women will intrigue, engage, and inspire you. They'll help you think differently about your own life. Perhaps, they'll spark an awakening for what could be possible if you expanded your boundaries and reimagined things. What do they have in common? They have all embraced what I call a reinvention rebel mindset. They have reflected on where they are and where they want to be. They have reimagined what life could look like in fun and exciting ways. They have restarted by focusing on their passions and new possibilities. Come along with me as we reimagine aging and embrace new possibilities. Let's become Reinvention Rebels together. Ready to hear more? You can find Episode 2 waiting for you on your favorite podcast platforms. 

[outro] 

Hey, Reinvention Rebels, thanks for listening. Want to have Reinvention Rebels inspiration delivered to your inbox? Head over to reinventionrebels.com and sign up for my news and notes.

 [Transcript provided by SpeechDocs Podcast Transcription]