The Uplifters

<p>If you're a woman over 40 who has ever found yourself stuck in a loop — knowing what you need to do but unable to make yourself do it — this episode is for you. Somatic teacher and spiritual leadership coach Ally Bogard joins The Uplifters to talk about why we avoid, procrastinate, and what it actually takes to build the courage to live more fully in midlife. Whether you're navigating a midlife transition, a second act career change, or simply trying to close the gap between who you are and who you want to be, this conversation is for you.</p><p>In this episode, you'll learn how to distinguish between real stress and imaginary stress, how to use tiny completable actions to close the loops that drain your energy, and why building "the riverbank" — your nervous system capacity, your community, your values — matters more than any five-year plan right now.</p><p>Ally Bogard has spent more than twenty years teaching individuals and groups how to integrate the mind, emotions, and body in service of a more courageous, authentic life. This conversation, recorded at the start of the year and released in spring when real change tends to take root, is a gift for any woman over 40 who is ready to stop postponing her own life.</p><p><strong>What You'll Learn:</strong></p><p><strong>How to stop avoiding hard conversations in midlife</strong> — Ally's framework for distinguishing what you're genuinely not ready for versus what you're using readiness as an excuse to avoid</p><p><strong>Women over 40 and the loop-closing method</strong> — why small, completable actions build more courage capital than big dramatic pivots</p><p><strong>Midlife reinvention and the nervous system</strong> — how somatic regulation supports second act career changes and identity shifts</p><p><strong>Starting over at 40 with too many open tabs</strong> — the real cost of aspirational queuing and how to get honest about your capacity</p><p><strong>Perimenopause, identity, and the KPI shift</strong> — why what used to define success stops working in the second half of life, and what to replace it with</p><p><strong>Women changing careers in their 40s</strong> — why building the container (values, community, nervous system capacity) matters more than the plan</p><p><strong>Midlife transformation through self-compassion</strong> — how to stop reframing your way out of discomfort and start getting genuinely curious about it</p><p><strong>Key Takeaways:</strong></p><p><strong>For midlife career changers:</strong> The things you've been postponing aren't going anywhere — they're quietly draining the energy you need to build something new. One tiny, completable action changes that.</p><p><strong>For women over 40 seeking authenticity:</strong> Insight without action is a kind of betrayal. What do you know right now that you can do today?</p><p><strong>For women navigating midlife transition:</strong> You don't need a five-year plan. You need a riverbank — the nervous system capacity, values, and community that let everything else flow.</p><p><strong>Featured Quote:</strong> "Insight without action sucks. What do I know that I can do? What do I know that I can do?" — Ally Bogard</p><p><strong>Resources & Links:</strong></p><p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.allybogard.com/events">allybogard.com/events</a></p><p>Instagram: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/allybogard/">@allybogard</a></p><p></p><p>Byron Katie's "The Work": <a target="_blank" href="http://thework.com">thework.com</a></p><p>Related Uplifters episodes: [please add 2-3 relevant deep links]</p><p><strong>About Ally Bogard:</strong> Ally Bogard is a somatic teacher and spiritual leadership coach with over twenty years of experience helping individuals and groups integrate mind, emotion, and body. A women over 40 doing second-act work in the deepest sense, her practice blends rigorous methodology with an intuitive, human-centered approach to nervous system regulation, inquiry, and midlife reinvention.</p><p><strong>About Your Host:</strong></p><p>Aransas Savas is a wellbeing and leadership coach specializing in helping women over 40 navigate midlife transitions, career changes, and second-act reinvention. With 20+ years of behavioral research experience partnering with companies like Disney, Weight Watchers, and Best Buy, she hosts The Uplifters Podcast, featuring women doing meaningful work in the second half of their lives. Aransas brings both research rigor and personal experience to conversations about courage capital, midlife transformation, and building meaningful second acts.</p><p><strong>Connect with Aransas:</strong></p><p>Instagram: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/aransas_savas/">@aransas_savas</a></p><p>Podcast Instagram: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/the_uplifters_podcast/">@the_uplifters_podcast</a></p><p>TikTok: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@theuplifterspodcast">@theuplifterspodcast</a></p><p>Facebook: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/aransas">Aransas Savas</a></p><p>Website: <a target="_blank" href="http://theuplifterspodcast.com">theuplifterspodcast.com</a></p><p>YouTube: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/@theuplifterspodcast">@theuplifterspodcast</a></p><p>LinkedIn: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/aransassavas/">Aransas Savas</a></p><p><strong>Keywords:</strong> perimenopause career change, women over 40, midlife reinvention, menopause second act, starting over at 40, women changing careers 40s, midlife transition women, second half of life, courage capital, midlife transformation, women entrepreneurs over 40, female founders midlife, perimenopause motivation, midlife purpose women, second act career women, women 40s new career, building confidence after 40, midlife dreams women, perimenopause fresh start, somatic healing midlife, midlife identity shift, nervous system regulation women, midlife avoidance, authentic living over 40</p> <br/><br/>Get full access to The Uplifters at <a href="https://www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_4">www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe</a>

<p>This week on The Uplifters Podcast, global peace leader and midlife changemaker Kerri Kennedy shares how women in the second half of life are uniquely primed for civic action. Kennedy brings 20+ years of experience in human rights, peacebuilding, and political violence response to a conversation that every woman navigating midlife reinvention, community leadership, and the question of "what can I actually do?" needs to hear.</p><p>In this episode, you'll hear how Kennedy mobilized a community to secure the release of a neighbor detained by ICE, how small community actions add up to a bigger impact, and how she's sustained decades of difficult work without burning out. Her framework for turning fear into action is practical, research-backed, and exactly what women over 40 need right now.</p><p>From training women parliamentarians in Afghanistan under death threats to founding PACs to get more women elected in New Jersey, Kennedy's story is a masterclass in how midlife women can use their networks, experience, and identity certainty to lead when it matters most.</p><p><strong>What You'll Learn:</strong></p><p><strong>How women over 40 lead differently in civic spaces</strong> — Kennedy's specific account of how midlife identity certainty, networks, and experience translate to faster, more decisive action</p><p><strong>The 3.5% rule for nonviolent change</strong> — what decades of civil resistance research says about how few people it actually takes to shift a system</p><p><strong>How to turn civic paralysis into a menu of options</strong> — concrete, risk-calibrated actions from spending your values to showing up in person</p><p><strong>Sustaining long-haul work without burnout</strong> — the "Porous Choir" framework for rest, resilience, and collective action</p><p><strong>How to talk to your kids about a scary future</strong> — Kennedy's approach to raising engaged, grounded citizens in uncertain times</p><p><strong>Building your fear threshold incrementally</strong> — why courage is a practice, not a trait, and how to expand it safely</p><p><strong>Key Timestamps:</strong></p><p>0:00 - Introduction and Join the Tryb sponsor </p><p>1:30 - Welcome and Women's History Month series context </p><p>2:30 - Introducing Kerri Kennedy: global peace leader and peacebuilder </p><p>5:00 - How a community mobilized to free a detained neighbor</p><p> 7:00 - How midlife women lead differently: identity certainty and networks </p><p>9:00 - Afghanistan, 9/11, and the moments that narrowed Kerri's north star </p><p>13:00 - The 3.5% rule: what the science says about nonviolent civil resistance </p><p>19:00 - A practical menu of civic actions for every risk tolerance </p><p>22:00 - Mirror neurons, ingroup expansion, and bridging political divides </p><p>27:30 - Talking to people who are exhausted from the fight </p><p>29:00 - The Porous Choir: how to sustain long-haul civic work </p><p>31:30 - Medium-term goal setting for movement work (and for weightlifting) </p><p>36:00 - What to tell your kids when they're afraid of the future </p><p>43:00 - Processing fear and building a fear threshold </p><p>48:00 - Translating fear into action: a practical exercise </p><p>49:30 - Guest nomination: Marcia, human rights lawyer in Costa Rica</p><p><strong>Key Takeaways:</strong></p><p><strong>For midlife women navigating civic engagement:</strong> Identity certainty, which research shows peaks around age 65, means women in the second half of life are neurologically primed to act from values rather than fear, making midlife one of the most powerful times for civic leadership.</p><p><strong>For women over 40 seeking purpose:</strong> The "Porous Choir" framework offers a sustainable model for long-term impact: contribute when you can, rest when you must, trust the collective to hold what you can't.</p><p><strong>For anyone feeling paralyzed by the scale of current events:</strong> Kennedy's research-backed 3.5% rule reframes the problem. You don't need everyone. You need a sustained, nonviolent 3.5%, and your small action is part of that percentage.</p><p></p><p><strong>Resources & Links:</strong></p><p>American Friends Service Committee: <a target="_blank" href="http://afsc.org">afsc.org</a></p><p>Kerri Kennedy on LinkedIn: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerriken/">linkedin.com/in/kerriken</a></p><p>Kerri Kennedy on Instagram: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/kerrikennedy1/">@kerrikennedy1</a></p><p>Book: <em>Indivisible: Global Leaders on Shared Security</em> (co-edited by Kerri Kennedy)</p><p>Related episode, Amy Cohen (Families for Safe Streets): <a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/1kolpbeT6QTM4ryUPg3pyn?si=5vE_N29nRHe--27Q5J4hrg">Listen on Spotify</a></p><p>Related episode, Rev. Ann Kansfield (FDNY Chaplain): <a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6AYP0YDivhP2T2hxuVdnwX?si=4ecVqKD5Tye6UXP3IiHS2Q">Listen on Spotify</a></p><p>Related episode, Laura Kavanagh (First Female NYC Fire Commissioner): <a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4woJzjMNWyb8ZfIOpHdQky?si=RhGG5uhAS2quE37UqO3b3A">Listen on Spotify</a></p><p>Join the Tribe: <a target="_blank" href="http://jointhetribe.com">jointhetryb.com</a>, code: UPLIFTER20</p><p><strong>About Kerri Kennedy:</strong></p><p>Kerri Kennedy is a global peace leader with more than two decades of experience advancing human rights, protecting civic space, and responding to political violence worldwide. She serves as International Associate General Secretary at the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), overseeing peacebuilding, humanitarian response, and migration programs across four regions and more than 20 country offices. She is the co-editor of <em>Indivisible: Global Leaders on Shared Security</em> and the founder of two PACs supporting women in New Jersey politics. A midlife changemaker in every sense, Kennedy brings hard-won global experience home to local community action.</p><p><strong>About Your Host:</strong></p><p>Aransas Savas is a wellbeing and leadership coach specializing in helping women over 40 navigate midlife transitions, career changes, and second-act reintegration. With 20+ years of behavioral research experience partnering with companies like Disney, Weight Watchers, and Best Buy, she hosts The Uplifters Podcast, featuring women doing transformative work in the second half of their lives. Aransas brings both research rigor and personal experience to conversations about courage capital, midlife transformation, and building meaningful second acts.</p><p><strong>Connect with Aransas:</strong></p><p>Instagram: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/aransas_savas/">@aransas_savas</a></p><p>Podcast Instagram: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/the_uplifters_podcast/">@the_uplifters_podcast</a></p><p>TikTok: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@theuplifterspodcast">@theuplifterspodcast</a></p><p>Facebook: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/aransas">Aransas Savas</a></p><p>Website: <a target="_blank" href="http://theuplifterspodcast.com">theuplifterspodcast.com</a></p><p>YouTube: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/@theuplifterspodcast">@theuplifterspodcast</a></p><p>LinkedIn: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/aransassavas/">Aransas Savas</a></p><p><strong>Keywords:</strong></p><p>perimenopause career change, women over 40, midlife reinvention, menopause second act, starting over at 40, women changing careers 40s, midlife transition women, second half of life, courage capital, midlife transformation, women entrepreneurs over 40, female founders midlife, perimenopause motivation, midlife purpose women, second act career women, women 40s new career, building confidence after 40, midlife dreams women, perimenopause fresh start, midlife civic engagement, women over 40 leadership, midlife women activism, democratic resilience women, women community changemakers, inspiring women over 40, midlife awakening women, women over 40 success stories, growth mindset women over 40</p><p><strong>YouTube Show Notes:</strong></p><p><strong>#154: How to Turn Fear Into Action When Democracy Feels Fragile</strong></p><p>What does a global peace leader do when democracy feels fragile? She mobilizes. And she showed me exactly how to do it.</p><p>This week on The Uplifters Podcast, I'm joined by Kerri Kennedy, International Associate General Secretary at the American Friends Service Committee, where she oversees peacebuilding, humanitarian response, and migration programs across 4 regions and 20+ country offices. Kerri has appeared on CNN, Al Jazeera English, and NPR, and is the co-editor of <em>Indivisible: Global Leaders on Shared Security</em>.</p><p>This is a Women's History Month episode, and it might be the most practical civic conversation we've ever had. Kerri shares the research-backed "3.5% rule" for nonviolent change, her "Porous Choir" framework for sustaining long-haul work without burnout, and a concrete menu of actions for women at every risk tolerance who want to show up for their communities right now.</p><p>If you've been feeling frozen, exhausted, or unsure where to start, this episode will meet you exactly where you are.</p><p><strong>In this episode:</strong></p><p>Why women over 40 are uniquely primed for civic leadership</p><p>The 3.5% rule: how few people it takes to shift an entire system</p><p>How to act civically without putting yourself at risk</p><p>The Porous Choir: how to sustain decades of meaningful work</p><p>What to tell your kids when they're afraid of the future</p><p>Building your fear threshold, one small brave step at a time</p><p><strong>Connect with Kerri Kennedy:</strong> AFSC: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.afsc.org">https://www.afsc.org</a> LinkedIn: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerriken/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerriken/</a> Instagram: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/kerrikennedy1/">https://www.instagram.com/kerrikennedy1/</a></p><p><strong>Connect with Aransas:</strong> Website: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theuplifterspodcast.com">https://www.theuplifterspodcast.com</a> Instagram: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/aransas_savas/">https://www.instagram.com/aransas_savas/</a> Substack: <a target="_blank" href="http://theuplifterspodcast.substack.com">theuplifterspodcast.substack.com</a></p><p><strong>Shop Join the Tryb:</strong> <a target="_blank" href="https://jointhetryb.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorP1iG-jk5tZUlulhoo48zvgYTJuDx45eLHsherqRM-x8IxKlw7">https://jointhetryb.com</a> | Code: UPLIFTER20</p><p></p> <br/><br/>Get full access to The Uplifters at <a href="https://www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_4">www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe</a>

<p>This week on The Uplifters Podcast, global peace leader and midlife changemaker Kerri Kennedy shares how women in the second half of life are uniquely primed for civic action. Kennedy brings 20+ years of experience in human rights, peacebuilding, and political violence response to a conversation that every woman navigating midlife reinvention, community leadership, and the question of "what can I actually do?" needs to hear.</p><p>In this episode, you'll hear how Kennedy mobilized a community to secure the release of a neighbor detained by ICE, how small community actions add up to a bigger impact, and how she's sustained decades of difficult work without burning out. Her framework for turning fear into action is practical, research-backed, and exactly what women over 40 need right now.</p><p>From training women parliamentarians in Afghanistan under death threats to founding PACs to get more women elected in New Jersey, Kennedy's story is a masterclass in how midlife women can use their networks, experience, and identity certainty to lead when it matters most.</p><p><strong>What You'll Learn:</strong></p><p><strong>How women over 40 lead differently in civic spaces</strong> — Kennedy's specific account of how midlife identity certainty, networks, and experience translate to faster, more decisive action</p><p><strong>The 3.5% rule for nonviolent change</strong> — what decades of civil resistance research says about how few people it actually takes to shift a system</p><p><strong>How to turn civic paralysis into a menu of options</strong> — concrete, risk-calibrated actions from spending your values to showing up in person</p><p><strong>Sustaining long-haul work without burnout</strong> — the "Porous Choir" framework for rest, resilience, and collective action</p><p><strong>How to talk to your kids about a scary future</strong> — Kennedy's approach to raising engaged, grounded citizens in uncertain times</p><p><strong>Building your fear threshold incrementally</strong> — why courage is a practice, not a trait, and how to expand it safely</p><p><strong>Key Timestamps:</strong></p><p>0:00 - Introduction and Join the Tryb sponsor </p><p>1:30 - Welcome and Women's History Month series context </p><p>2:30 - Introducing Kerri Kennedy: global peace leader and peacebuilder </p><p>5:00 - How a community mobilized to free a detained neighbor</p><p> 7:00 - How midlife women lead differently: identity certainty and networks </p><p>9:00 - Afghanistan, 9/11, and the moments that narrowed Kerri's north star </p><p>13:00 - The 3.5% rule: what the science says about nonviolent civil resistance </p><p>19:00 - A practical menu of civic actions for every risk tolerance </p><p>22:00 - Mirror neurons, ingroup expansion, and bridging political divides </p><p>27:30 - Talking to people who are exhausted from the fight </p><p>29:00 - The Porous Choir: how to sustain long-haul civic work </p><p>31:30 - Medium-term goal setting for movement work (and for weightlifting) </p><p>36:00 - What to tell your kids when they're afraid of the future </p><p>43:00 - Processing fear and building a fear threshold </p><p>48:00 - Translating fear into action: a practical exercise </p><p>49:30 - Guest nomination: Marcia, human rights lawyer in Costa Rica</p><p><strong>Key Takeaways:</strong></p><p><strong>For midlife women navigating civic engagement:</strong> Identity certainty, which research shows peaks around age 65, means women in the second half of life are neurologically primed to act from values rather than fear, making midlife one of the most powerful times for civic leadership.</p><p><strong>For women over 40 seeking purpose:</strong> The "Porous Choir" framework offers a sustainable model for long-term impact: contribute when you can, rest when you must, trust the collective to hold what you can't.</p><p><strong>For anyone feeling paralyzed by the scale of current events:</strong> Kennedy's research-backed 3.5% rule reframes the problem. You don't need everyone. You need a sustained, nonviolent 3.5%, and your small action is part of that percentage.</p><p></p><p><strong>Resources & Links:</strong></p><p>American Friends Service Committee: <a target="_blank" href="http://afsc.org">afsc.org</a></p><p>Kerri Kennedy on LinkedIn: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerriken/">linkedin.com/in/kerriken</a></p><p>Kerri Kennedy on Instagram: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/kerrikennedy1/">@kerrikennedy1</a></p><p>Book: <em>Indivisible: Global Leaders on Shared Security</em> (co-edited by Kerri Kennedy)</p><p>Related episode, Amy Cohen (Families for Safe Streets): <a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/1kolpbeT6QTM4ryUPg3pyn?si=5vE_N29nRHe--27Q5J4hrg">Listen on Spotify</a></p><p>Related episode, Rev. Ann Kansfield (FDNY Chaplain): <a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6AYP0YDivhP2T2hxuVdnwX?si=4ecVqKD5Tye6UXP3IiHS2Q">Listen on Spotify</a></p><p>Related episode, Laura Kavanagh (First Female NYC Fire Commissioner): <a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4woJzjMNWyb8ZfIOpHdQky?si=RhGG5uhAS2quE37UqO3b3A">Listen on Spotify</a></p><p>Join the Tribe: <a target="_blank" href="http://jointhetribe.com">jointhetryb.com</a>, code: UPLIFTER20</p><p><strong>About Kerri Kennedy:</strong></p><p>Kerri Kennedy is a global peace leader with more than two decades of experience advancing human rights, protecting civic space, and responding to political violence worldwide. She serves as International Associate General Secretary at the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), overseeing peacebuilding, humanitarian response, and migration programs across four regions and more than 20 country offices. She is the co-editor of <em>Indivisible: Global Leaders on Shared Security</em> and the founder of two PACs supporting women in New Jersey politics. A midlife changemaker in every sense, Kennedy brings hard-won global experience home to local community action.</p><p><strong>About Your Host:</strong></p><p>Aransas Savas is a wellbeing and leadership coach specializing in helping women over 40 navigate midlife transitions, career changes, and second-act reintegration. With 20+ years of behavioral research experience partnering with companies like Disney, Weight Watchers, and Best Buy, she hosts The Uplifters Podcast, featuring women doing transformative work in the second half of their lives. Aransas brings both research rigor and personal experience to conversations about courage capital, midlife transformation, and building meaningful second acts.</p><p><strong>Connect with Aransas:</strong></p><p>Instagram: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/aransas_savas/">@aransas_savas</a></p><p>Podcast Instagram: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/the_uplifters_podcast/">@the_uplifters_podcast</a></p><p>TikTok: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@theuplifterspodcast">@theuplifterspodcast</a></p><p>Facebook: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/aransas">Aransas Savas</a></p><p>Website: <a target="_blank" href="http://theuplifterspodcast.com">theuplifterspodcast.com</a></p><p>YouTube: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/@theuplifterspodcast">@theuplifterspodcast</a></p><p>LinkedIn: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/aransassavas/">Aransas Savas</a></p><p><strong>Keywords:</strong></p><p>perimenopause career change, women over 40, midlife reinvention, menopause second act, starting over at 40, women changing careers 40s, midlife transition women, second half of life, courage capital, midlife transformation, women entrepreneurs over 40, female founders midlife, perimenopause motivation, midlife purpose women, second act career women, women 40s new career, building confidence after 40, midlife dreams women, perimenopause fresh start, midlife civic engagement, women over 40 leadership, midlife women activism, democratic resilience women, women community changemakers, inspiring women over 40, midlife awakening women, women over 40 success stories, growth mindset women over 40</p><p><strong>YouTube Show Notes:</strong></p><p><strong>#154: How to Turn Fear Into Action When Democracy Feels Fragile</strong></p><p>What does a global peace leader do when democracy feels fragile? She mobilizes. And she showed me exactly how to do it.</p><p>This week on The Uplifters Podcast, I'm joined by Kerri Kennedy, International Associate General Secretary at the American Friends Service Committee, where she oversees peacebuilding, humanitarian response, and migration programs across 4 regions and 20+ country offices. Kerri has appeared on CNN, Al Jazeera English, and NPR, and is the co-editor of <em>Indivisible: Global Leaders on Shared Security</em>.</p><p>This is a Women's History Month episode, and it might be the most practical civic conversation we've ever had. Kerri shares the research-backed "3.5% rule" for nonviolent change, her "Porous Choir" framework for sustaining long-haul work without burnout, and a concrete menu of actions for women at every risk tolerance who want to show up for their communities right now.</p><p>If you've been feeling frozen, exhausted, or unsure where to start, this episode will meet you exactly where you are.</p><p><strong>In this episode:</strong></p><p>Why women over 40 are uniquely primed for civic leadership</p><p>The 3.5% rule: how few people it takes to shift an entire system</p><p>How to act civically without putting yourself at risk</p><p>The Porous Choir: how to sustain decades of meaningful work</p><p>What to tell your kids when they're afraid of the future</p><p>Building your fear threshold, one small brave step at a time</p><p><strong>Connect with Kerri Kennedy:</strong> AFSC: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.afsc.org">https://www.afsc.org</a> LinkedIn: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerriken/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerriken/</a> Instagram: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/kerrikennedy1/">https://www.instagram.com/kerrikennedy1/</a></p><p><strong>Connect with Aransas:</strong> Website: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theuplifterspodcast.com">https://www.theuplifterspodcast.com</a> Instagram: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/aransas_savas/">https://www.instagram.com/aransas_savas/</a> Substack: <a target="_blank" href="http://theuplifterspodcast.substack.com">theuplifterspodcast.substack.com</a></p><p><strong>Shop Join the Tryb:</strong> <a target="_blank" href="https://jointhetryb.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorP1iG-jk5tZUlulhoo48zvgYTJuDx45eLHsherqRM-x8IxKlw7">https://jointhetryb.com</a> | Code: UPLIFTER20</p><p></p> <br/><br/>Get full access to The Uplifters at <a href="https://www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_4">www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe</a>

<p>What does it look like when midlife women step up to lead in a world that has historically told them to sit down? In this episode of The Uplifters Podcast, host Aransas Savas sits down with her own neighbors, two women who ran against each other for mayor of Highlands, New Jersey, to talk about local leadership, community engagement, and the very specific courage it takes to run for office as a woman over 40. Women currently make up just 28% of Congress, hold only 12 of 50 governorships, and are twice as likely as men to rate themselves unqualified to run for office even with identical credentials. This is a conversation about why that has to change, and how midlife women are uniquely positioned to lead it.</p><p>You'll hear Rebecca Wells, the first woman to serve as fire chief of the Highlands Fire Department, and Carolyn Broullon, a three-term mayor, talk candidly about what it took to campaign in a small town, how they see the future of their community, and what civic engagement really looks like at the local level. Whether you've thought about running for office, joining a committee, or just finally going to a town council meeting, this episode is for you. For midlife women navigating second act reinvention or looking for ways to create real-world impact, this is your reminder that the most powerful change often starts in your own backyard.</p><p><strong>What You'll Learn:</strong></p><p><strong>How midlife women in politics overcome the confidence gap</strong> — and why women are twice as likely to underestimate their own qualifications</p><p><strong>Starting over and showing up after loss</strong> — Rebecca ran for mayor months after losing her father and what that taught her about grief and purpose</p><p><strong>Women over 40 in civic leadership</strong> — what barriers still exist and how these two women navigated them</p><p><strong>Building community trust as a midlife woman</strong> — the Edelman research on proximity and why face-to-face engagement matters more than ever</p><p><strong>How to get involved in local politics without running for office</strong> — practical entry points for midlife women who want to make a difference</p><p><strong>Nonpartisan elections and women's leadership</strong> — what happens when you remove party labels and ask people to actually think</p><p><strong>Midlife reinvention through community service</strong> — how showing up locally can become a second act of purpose and impact</p><p><strong>Key Timestamps:</strong> 0:00 - Introduction and Join the Trybsponsor spot 1:30 - Welcome and state of women in politics stats 3:00 - Introducing Rebecca Wells and Carolyn Broullon 4:30 - What Highlands means to Rebecca (lifelong resident) 5:45 - What Highlands means to Carolyn (chosen community) 7:00 - Their shared vision for the future of the town 10:00 - The experience of running for office as a midlife woman 11:30 - Rebecca on running while grieving her father 13:30 - Carolyn on building community trust through presence 15:00 - Bringing kids into the campaign 17:30 - The election results and what a 66-vote margin means 19:30 - A thousand people who didn't vote — civic disengagement 21:00 - Helen Arteaga and the power of local impact 22:30 - How disengagement connects to feeling powerless 25:00 - Rebecca's plan for a non-political neighborhood group 27:00 - Nonpartisan elections, tribalism, and voter behavior 30:00 - Closing: how to show up in your own community</p><p><strong>Key Takeaways:</strong></p><p><strong>For midlife women considering civic leadership:</strong> You don't have to have all the answers. You just have to ask the questions and be willing to enlist others to help find solutions.</p><p><strong>For women over 40 seeking purpose and impact:</strong> Real change starts locally. The most powerful thing you can do in a broken-feeling world is take care of your own backyard.</p><p><strong>For midlife women navigating loss or transition:</strong> Rebecca ran for mayor months after losing her father. Grief can be a north star, not just a stopping point.</p><p><strong>Featured Quote:</strong></p><p>"If you can give a night a week, you get to learn your neighbors, have input, and really shape your community." — Rebecca Wells</p><p><strong>Resources & Links:</strong></p><p>Related episode: <a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4OCpFjlQ5opZp2UuTKFvbD?si=EL_pkT-CQpmhVIosyJlPRg">Helen Arteaga — First Latina CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst</a></p><p>Edelman Trust Barometer: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.edelman.com/trust/trust-barometer">https://www.edelman.com/trust/trust-barometer</a></p><p>Join the Tribe: <a target="_blank" href="https://jointhetryb.com/collections/snacks?page=2#3a9ea16ea857abc0dfe2721a7c2d6c2a">jointhetryb.com</a> code: UPLIFTER20</p><p><strong>About Rebecca Wells:</strong></p><p>Rebecca Wells is a lifelong resident of Highlands, New Jersey and the first woman ever to serve as fire chief of the Highlands Fire Department. A second-act civic leader and midlife woman in politics, she has served five terms on town council, nearly two decades on the local housing authority, and currently serves as Deputy Chief and on the Board of Education.</p><p><strong>About Carolyn Broullon:</strong></p><p>Carolyn Broullon is the three-term mayor of Highlands, New Jersey, a women-in-leadership pioneer who moved to the town in 2002 and has spent over two decades building community trust through presence, dialogue, and civic innovation, including leading the effort to bring nonpartisan elections to Highlands.</p><p><strong>About Your Host:</strong></p><p>Aransas Savas is a wellbeing and leadership coach specializing in helping women over 40 navigate midlife transitions, career changes, and second-act reinvention. With 20+ years of behavioral research experience partnering with companies like Disney, Weight Watchers, and Best Buy, she hosts The Uplifters Podcast, featuring women doing transformative work in the second half of their lives. Aransas brings both research rigor and personal experience to conversations about courage capital, midlife transformation, and building meaningful second acts.</p><p><strong>Connect with Aransas:</strong></p><p>Instagram: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/aransas_savas/">@aransas_savas</a></p><p>Podcast Instagram: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/the_uplifters_podcast/">@the_uplifters_podcast</a></p><p>TikTok: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@theuplifterspodcast">@theuplifterspodcast</a></p><p>Facebook: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/aransas">Aransas Savas</a></p><p>Website: <a target="_blank" href="http://theuplifterspodcast.com">theuplifterspodcast.com</a></p><p>YouTube: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/@theuplifterspodcast">@theuplifterspodcast</a></p><p>LinkedIn: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/aransassavas/">Aransas Savas</a></p><p><strong>Keywords:</strong></p><p>women in local politics, midlife women leadership, women over 40 civic engagement, midlife reinvention second act, women running for office, women in male dominated fields, midlife women making a difference, courage capital, perimenopause confidence, second act women over 40, midlife purpose women, women 40s new purpose, inspiring women over 40, midlife motivation women, starting over at 40 women, women changing careers midlife, local leadership women, community engagement midlife women, women over 40 success stories, midlife awakening women</p> <br/><br/>Get full access to The Uplifters at <a href="https://www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_4">www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe</a>

<p>In this episode, we meet Dutch documentary filmmaker Corinne van der Borch and Australian artist-animator Edwina White — two women in the second half of life who turned a dog park friendship into a creative partnership, and a Brooklyn crossing guard into the subject of their upcoming documentary, <em>I Got You</em>. For any woman navigating midlife reinvention, this conversation is a masterclass in starting hyperlocal, accepting help gracefully, and doing meaningful work even when the ground is shifting beneath you.</p><p>You'll hear how these two collaborators built a community-funded project from the ground up — no big studio, no safety net — while each navigating their own personal upheaval. This is a midlife career pivot story, a creative courage story, and above all, a story about what happens when we pay close attention to the people right in front of us.</p><p>Miss T, the Bed-Stuy crossing guard at the center of the documentary, is herself a remarkable woman: a foster care survivor who has built a neighborhood family out of loose ties, birthday cards, and epic twice-yearly dinner parties. Her philosophy — generous with love, selective with energy — is something every woman over 40 can carry with them.</p><p><strong>What You'll Learn:</strong></p><p><strong>How to start a meaningful creative project in midlife with limited resources</strong> — Corinne and Edwina's model of community-funded, in-kind collaboration</p><p><strong>Why hyperlocal impact matters for women over 40 seeking purpose</strong> — and how Miss T's corner became the center of a whole neighborhood's resilience</p><p><strong>How to convert loose social ties into real community</strong> — the skill that defines Miss T's life and that any woman in midlife can practice</p><p><strong>Building creative partnerships in the second half of life</strong> — what made this dog-park friendship into a genuine collaboration</p><p><strong>Asking for help and receiving it</strong> — especially for women over 40 who have been conditioned to go it alone</p><p><strong>The courage to share work publicly before it's finished</strong> — and how visibility creates the support you didn't know was coming</p><p><strong>Key Timestamps:</strong></p><p>0:00 - Introduction & Join the Tryb sponsor message 1:30 - Welcome to The Uplifters & introduction of Corinne and Edwina 2:45 - Who is Miss T? The Bed-Stuy crossing guard who changes everything 6:30 - How Miss T hosts community dinner parties and builds neighborhood family 9:00 - Loose ties vs. strong ties — and what Miss T teaches us about connection 10:30 - Miss T's philosophy: open-hearted but selective with energy 14:00 - What it means to show up with presence vs. resources 15:00 - Edwina's personal journey: navigating divorce and upheaval during filming 17:00 - How the corner became a refuge — and how the collaboration began 19:30 - The dog park meeting and Sesame Street connection 22:00 - The multimedia vision: animation, drone footage, and mixed-media storytelling 26:00 - The snowball effect: how community support found <em>I Got You</em> 31:00 - Three lessons for doing big, brave things: start local, share openly, accept help 34:00 - How to support the documentary — GoFundMe and skills-based contributions 37:00 - Nominating the next Uplifter: a filmmaker working on a bell hooks documentary</p><p><strong>Key Takeaways:</strong></p><p><strong>For midlife women starting creative projects:</strong> You don't need a big platform or big budget — you need one honest story and the willingness to tell it in public</p><p><strong>For women over 40 seeking community:</strong> Miss T shows us that connection is a daily practice, not a grand gesture; it's the birthday card, the emoji, the remembered name</p><p><strong>For midlife career changers and collaborators:</strong> The right creative partner might be walking their dog twenty feet away — and the project that heals you might also be the one that matters most to your community</p><p><strong>Featured Quote:</strong></p><p>"It's really easy to fall into the trap of thinking, I don't have enough — and this is a woman who shows us that you just need yourself and the moment you're in to be present and connect in order to have tremendous impact for generations." — Aransas Savas</p><p><strong>Resources & Links:</strong></p><p>Support the documentary: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-I-got-you-">GoFundMe — I Got You</a></p><p>Corinne's film <em>Sisters on Track</em> — available on Netflix</p><p>Related episodes: <a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/0kaS64NXjUOWq1rvxBCtDG">Gina Hamadey on gratitude and connection</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/0DkndSXu54tUdv2ctuu3vW">Alison Mariella Désir on building community</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/5c3t62aKwPJ8JKqQm4knuE">Cleyvis Natera on creative courage</a></p><p><strong>About the Guests:</strong></p><p>Dutch documentary filmmaker Corinne van der Borch (<em>Sisters on Track</em>, Netflix) and Australian artist-animator Edwina White are midlife creative collaborators whose work spans documentary film, animation, Sesame Street, and now <em>I Got You</em> — a short documentary about Miss T, the Brooklyn crossing guard who became the heartbeat of her Bed-Stuy neighborhood. Both women are in the second half of their careers, making work that centers community, connection, and the quiet heroism of everyday people.</p><p><strong>About Your Host:</strong></p><p>Aransas Savas is a wellbeing and leadership coach specializing in helping women over 40 navigate midlife transitions, career changes, and second-act reinvention. With 20+ years of behavioral research experience partnering with companies like Disney, Weight Watchers, and Best Buy, she hosts The Uplifters Podcast, featuring women doing transformative work in the second half of their lives. Aransas brings both research rigor and personal experience to conversations about courage capital, midlife transformation, and building meaningful second acts.</p><p><strong>Connect with Aransas:</strong></p><p>Instagram: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/aransas_savas/">@aransas_savas</a></p><p>Podcast Instagram: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/the_uplifters_podcast/">@the_uplifters_podcast</a></p><p>TikTok: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@theuplifterspodcast">@theuplifterspodcast</a></p><p>Facebook: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/aransas">Aransas Savas</a></p><p>Website: <a target="_blank" href="http://theuplifterspodcast.com">theuplifterspodcast.com</a></p><p>YouTube: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/@theuplifterspodcast">@theuplifterspodcast</a></p><p>LinkedIn: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/aransassavas/">Aransas Savas</a></p><p><strong>Keywords:</strong></p><p>midlife reinvention women, women over 40 creative careers, second act career women, midlife community building, women over 40 starting over, midlife purpose women, women 40s new career, midlife transition women, second half of life women, inspiring women over 40, midlife collaboration, women entrepreneurs over 40, midlife awakening women, midlife courage capital, midlife dreams women, 40+ women creative projects, women over 40 success stories, midlife glow up, community connection midlife, women changing careers 40s</p> <br/><br/>Get full access to The Uplifters at <a href="https://www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_4">www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe</a>