Touched by Time: I Went to See Cave Art. I Left With a New Understanding of Myself
In the depths of a French cave, 17,000-year-old drawings cracked open something I didn’t know I was missing. Spiritual is not a word people commonly associate with me. My sister in New York is the one who channels and manifests. I’ve long said the wrong sister moved to California. No personal God or goddesses for […]
Smart Women are Going Fractional After 50—and Taking Control
Fractional leadership isn’t a consolation prize. It’s how women over 50 are finally making work work for them. There’s a new F-word in the workplace: Fractional. And for a rising number of women in their 50s and 60s, that means freedom, not failure. Sick and tired of being passed over, aged out, or overworked for […]
She Didn’t Just Move to Paradise. She Bottled It.
Beauty, Scent, and the Courage to Start Over When Isabelle Ramsay-Brackstone lost her husband, she didn’t flee Bermuda—she stayed, turned grief into craft, and built a perfumery that captures the scent of a life fully lived. Standing in Isabelle Ramsay-Brackstone’s tropical walled garden, surrounded by oleander, passion flower, jasmine, and more, it was easy to […]
The Woman Who Thought She Had Everything
Turns Out, Having It All Isn’t the Goal. Knowing What’s Worth Having? That’s the Win. At 30, I thought I had everything: a job, health insurance, and a fiancé. Looking back, that was just the “starter pack” women were promised in our youth. I followed the rules, ticked the boxes, and believed I was doing […]
Who Killed the Audience? And Can We Get Them Back?
How One Night at Lincoln Center Changed My Understanding of the Audience Date night, 1979. Avery Fisher Hall. Lincoln Center. I showed up in my only dress; my boyfriend (now husband of 42 years) wore a corduroy blazer (it was the ‘70s). We were clearly out of our league. Everyone else looked like they had […]
Still Pulling G’s: Patty Wagstaff on Flying, Aging, and Staying the Course
Patty Wagstaff doesn’t care if you think she’s too old to fly upside down. At 73, the aerobatic legend is still defying gravity—and everyone’s expectations. As the first woman to win the U.S. National Aerobatic Championship, she broke into a male-dominated world and never looked back—flying on her own terms. Patty Wagstaff: The Sky Is […]
Marking My Son’s Birthday—With a Gift to Myself
I stared at the chain dangling before me. Did I dare? I took a breath then yanked it, dumping a bucket of ice cold water on my head. I shivered. Holy shit that was cold. I smothered a small yelp. It was so invigorating, I wanted to do it again. This was how I was […]
The 10 Commandments of Grocery Shopping
Given the fact that the employees at my local grocery store see me grocery shopping more than my own family does, it’s safe to say that I have quite a bit of experience pushing a full cart around. While I generally enjoy the experience because a) I love finding and checking things off of a […]
Finding Purpose After Retirement: Is It as Hard as You Think?
Can you reinvent yourself if you don’t know what you’re reinventing for? Can you find purpose after retirement? Purpose has been called life’s compass—the thing that guides us and pulls us forward. But for many women, finding purpose after retirement feels more like drifting into the Bermuda Triangle. Grandma Moses, who discovered her purpose at […]
Brain Rot: Word of the Year or Scrolling Yourself Stupid?
How long have you been scrolling before landing here? Have you been ignoring family members and avoiding the dishes in the sink while slumping in comfy sweats, praying your phone battery survives just one more TikTok? If your right thumb has a cramp from relentless scrolling, or you clicked “What happens when you eat kimchi […]
All In: What Playing Professional Poker Taught Me About Life
Winter, Moscow, 2001. The room is smoky and cold. I push my chips all in. After knocking out nearly 100 professional poker players, I’ve made it to the final table. I’ve been patiently waiting for the right hand to make my move, watching my chip stack dwindle to almost nothing. It’s now or never. I […]
Is Retirement the End or the Beginning? The Ecstasy and Angst
Preface: There’s a lot to unpack about redefining retirement and I know you’ve got important experiences and insights to share. This is the first piece in a series on this topic. Consider this post an introduction to the psychological groundwork—we’ll dig deeper into the practical and tactical over the coming months. ********** Consider this: 10,000 […]
