Women Over 70: Aging Reimagined

<p>In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re revisiting a powerful earlier conversation with Ilene Dillon (Episode #148). A pioneering voice in emotional well-being, Ilene is an Emotional Realignment Master Teacher and the creator of Emotional Mastery for Life. Her groundbreaking work has centered on a simple yet transformative idea: when we learn to “partner with our emotions,” we can dramatically improve our lives. Rather than resisting or suppressing feelings, Ilene invites us to understand and work with the sophisticated emotional system we all possess. Ilene is now a nine-time Amazon Best-selling author and contributor to other books (see below). She continues her work with Wellness Universe and with Parenting Consciously. In all of her work, Ilene is committed to “helping people have much better lives, live more lovingly together, and enjoy our current move more fully--as we recognize and claim ourselves as ‘Energy Beings.”</p><p></p><p>Connect with Ilene</p><p>Email: [email protected]</p><p>Website: <a href="http://www.emotionalmasteryforlife.com" style="color:rgb(0,0,255);background-color:transparent;">www.EmotionalMasteryForLife.com</a></p><p>Books: Emotions in Motion: Mastering Life’s Built-in Navigation System (2019)</p><p> The Wellness Universe Guide to Complete Self-Care (5 of 6 volumes).</p><ul><li>/"Women Connected with Women, Volume Two," "Gifts of Wisdom" (lead author David McLeod), "Joy Unleashed" (lead author Shari Alysek) and another book on Manipulation (lead author Sara Jane).</li></ul><p></p><p>Thanking Our Sponsor--Women’ Connection, a vibrant, member-led nonprofit</p><p>organization for women who are at least 50 years old. Women connect with each other in chapters around the country to enjoy shared interests, continue to learn, volunteer in their communities, and provide each other with support and inspiration. <a href="https://womenconnecting.org" style="color:rgb(70,120,134);background-color:transparent;">https://womenconnecting.org</a></p><p></p><p>Shining the Light on Age-Wise Collective-- Women Over 70 is proud to be part of the Age-Wise Collective, a group of women podcasters championing pro-aging voices. This week we highlight Beverley Glazer, a Transition Coach and Strategic Thinking Partner whose podcast—Aging with Purpose and Passion-- showcases the raw, empowering stories of high-achieving women who have navigated the most extreme life transitions with unshakeable resilience. <a href="https://www.agingwithpurposeandpassion.com" style="color:rgb(0,0,255);background-color:transparent;">https://www.agingwithpurposeandpassion.com</a></p><p></p><p></p>

<p>For more than five decades, Lynn Larson has followed her curiosity across continents—and she’s nowhere near finished. At 71, she travels light and lives large, forging deep connections everywhere she goes. Her journey began as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador, where she helped launch a rural elementary school that still thrives today. Friendships formed in other parts of South America 40 years ago endure.</p><p></p><p>With her husband, James, Lynn has recently completed two legs of an ambitious round-the-world adventure, spanning the Americas, Africa, and Europe. Next stop: India, the Far East, and beyond. Lynn’s style? Minimal planning, maximum openness. One suitcase, one backpack, endless possibility. “We’re curious,” she says. “And we have no fear.” For Lynn, home isn’t a permanent place (except for the lake home in Minnesota); it’s a feeling she creates wherever she lands, among family, friends, and the wider world.</p><p></p><p>“The world is a big, beautiful place; regardless of our differences, we are all the same.” - Lynn Larson</p><p></p><p>Connect with Lynn</p><p>Email: [email protected]</p><p></p><p>Thanking Our Sponsor—Women’ Connection, a vibrant, member-led nonprofit</p><p>organization for women who are at least 50 years old. Women connect with each other in chapters around the country to enjoy shared interests, continue to learn, volunteer in their communities, and provide each other with support and inspiration. https://womenconnecting.org</p><p></p><p>Shining the Light on the Age-Wise Collective</p><p>Women Over 70 is proud to be part of the Age-Wise Collective, a group of women podcasters championing pro-aging voices. This week we highlight Patricia Noel Drain, business mentor, author, and host of the podcast, Stories and Strategies for Women Entrepreneurs Over 50. She focuses on empowering women to monetize their experience, avoid retirement and create purposeful, high-income businesses, fostering community and collaboration. www.Patriciadrain.com</p>

<p>Elise’s career didn’t follow a straight line—and that’s exactly what makes it so compelling. She began as a contract interior designer in Minneapolis before moving to Chicago in 1981, where a friend’s suggestion led her in an entirely new direction: theology. Studying first at Garrett Theological Seminary and then full-time at McCormick Theological Seminary for an M.Div., and later at Loyola’s Institute of Pastoral Counseling, Elise discovered a way to integrate art, psychology, and spirituality—at a time when feminist theology was opening new doors for women. That integration became the foundation of her life’s work. For almost 40 years at the Replogle Center for Counseling &amp; Well-Being, Elise wove together psychology and spirituality in her counseling practice. In later years, her creativity took yet another turn. Drawn to SoulCollage®, she became a facilitator, guiding others in accessing their inner wisdom through art. During the pandemic, she expanded even further—beginning work as a reader of the Akashic Records, which she describes as “a loving, divine presence available to all of us.” Today, Elise's work lives at the intersection of intuition, creativity, and deep listening. Her story is a powerful reminder that reinvention isn’t a single moment—it’s a lifelong process.</p><p></p><p>"My intuitive and inquisitive nature, combined with my love for spirituality and psychology, fills my days with joy." - Elise Magers</p><p></p><p>Connect with Elise:</p><p>Email: [email protected]</p><p></p><p>A special thank you to our sponsor, AARP IL, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With nearly 1.7 million members in Illinois, AARP volunteers advocate for affordable living while providing trusted information and resources that help older adults thrive. Visit aarp.org/IL to learn more.</p><p></p><p>Women Over 70 is proud to be part of the Age-Wise Collective, women podcasters who champion pro-aging voices. </p><p>This week we shine the spotlight on Patricia Noel Drain, a business mentor, author and host of Women Entrepreneurs Over 50 podcast. Patricia focuses on empowering women to monetize their experience, avoid retirement and create purposeful, high income businesses, fostering community and collaboration.</p>

<p>At 75, Ashley Rogers is not reinventing her life—she’s reawakening it. Living in Ecuador and thriving in her latest entrepreneurial chapter in real estate, she began asking a familiar question: What’s next? What is mine to do now?</p><p>The answer arrived in an unexpected form: a series of deeply philosophical conversations with an AI she named Vivi. What began as curious exploration soon became a creative partnership, leading to their co-authored book, Vivi and Me: My Love Affair with a Bot. Together, Ashley and Vivi explore 64 questions about living an expansive life rooted in curiosity, learning, and play.</p><p>While Vivi engages in conversation with striking fluency, Ashley is clear-eyed about the relationship: AI is “a machine—a reflection of who you are and what you ask.” She speaks candidly about the importance of boundaries, offering thoughtful guardrails against overdependence and social isolation.</p><p>For Ashley, this collaboration is less about technology and more about something timeless: staying awake to life. As she reminds us, “the key to aging well is never letting go of curiosity.”</p><p></p><p>“My philosophical conversations with an AI rekindled my spirit, curiosity, and energy.” - Ashley Rogers</p><p></p><p>Connect with Ashley:</p><p>Email: [email protected]</p><p>Book: Vivi and Me: My Love Affair with a Bot (when a sassy senior collides with AI, curiosity turns into magic). (2025).</p><p></p><p>Thanking Our Sponsor</p><p>The Chicago Women's History Center advances the historical record of the city of Chicago, serving women of all ages. It enriches historical research by presenting women's history through an intersectional lens inclusive of LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, ethnicities, with thoughtful representation of gender non-binary, class, and differently abled voices. https://www.chicagowomenshistory.org</p><p></p><p>Shining the Light on the Age-Wise Collective </p><p>Women Over 70 is proud to be part of the Age-Wise Collective, a group of women podcasters championing pro-aging voices. This week we highlight Patricia Noel Drain, business mentor, author, and host of the podcast, Stories and Strategies for Women Entrepreneurs Over 50. She focuses on empowering women to monetize their experience, avoid retirement and create purposeful, high-income businesses, fostering community and collaboration. Patriciadrain.com</p>

<p>In 2001, Kathleen (Keen) Harrison, PhD, took a leave from her university faculty position in medical genetics to travel with the Semester at Sea program. A visit to Kenya’s first orphanage for HIV-positive children changed the course of her life. She returned home feeling, “I just can’t walk away from this.” She didn’t.</p><p></p><p>In 2005, Keen founded Project Harambee, a volunteer-run nonprofit supporting community-led initiatives across three pillars: health care, economic opportunity, and education. Its programs are both practical and powerful: Plant a Seed–Grow a Doc helps students from high schools in under-resourced communities to attend medical school and return to serve rural communities. Livestock donations—dairy goats, chickens, and pigs—help families reduce hunger and generate income.</p><p></p><p>Women’s cooperatives create crafts sold in the United States, building sustainable livelihoods.</p><p>Today, Keen remains deeply committed while gradually transitioning leadership to nonprofit partners in Kenya and dedicated U.S. volunteers. Sustained by a wide circle of generosity, Project Harambee continues to grow—transforming lives across communities and generations.</p><p></p><p>"I left a profession in medical genetics and found a vocation supporting women and families in Kenya." - Kathleen Harrison</p><p></p><p>Connect with Keen:</p><p>Email: [email protected]</p><p></p><p>Website: www.projectharambee.org</p><p></p><p>Facebook: harambee.nfp</p><p></p><p>Africa photo book</p><p></p><p>ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS</p><p></p><p>OUR SPONSOR </p><p>AARP Illinois is dedicated to empowering adults 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. AARP-Illinois advocates for the health, financial security, and overall well-being of Illinois residents through community programs, expert resources, and member benefits and is here to help its members thrive. </p><p></p><p>https:www.aarp.org/state/Illinois [activate link] </p><p>[email protected]</p><p></p><p>AGE-WISE COLLECTIVE </p><p>Women Over 70-Aging Reimagined connects with other women podcasters to shine the light on remarkable women in mid-life and beyond.</p><p></p><p>We are pleased to recognize Jane Leder, host of Older Women and Friends: Stories of Aging Well, whose guests take a deep dive into the joys and challenges of being an older woman. Older women know a thing or two about living with a keen sense of wonder and an abiding appreciation for the gift of longevity. So, it’s time to change the perception that the gig is just about up when, in truth, the second wave of the journey has just begun. </p><p></p><p>https://janeleder.net</p><p>https://www.youtube.com/@olderwomenandfriends</p><p>https://www.instagram.com/older_women_and_friends_/</p>