Jessica Kupferman is the CEO and co-founder of She Podcasts, the largest women’s podcasting community and organiser of She Podcasts LIVE. The She Podcasts brand currently supports over 20,000 female podcasters. She Podcasts Live Virtual is happening 20-22 June 2023. I’ve been a member of this brilliant community for years so it was great to sit down with Jess.
We talk about:
How Jess got started in the podcast world
Why podcasting is so important especially for women
Order the ebook or audiobook (narrated by Rachel) versions of Rachel’s book, Magnificent Midlife: Transform Your Middle Years, Menopause And Beyond at magnificentmidlife.com/book
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It was always a dream of mine to work for the BBC. Both my parents did, so it ran in the family.
My father was a TV and radio announcer, the first presenter of Midlands Today and latterly the music producer for Radio Birmingham. My mother was a studio manager for the BBC World Service at Bush House in London – how glamorous that sounds.
She did the good daughter thing, though, and returned to Birmingham to be closer to her mother when her own father died when she was still in her 20s. That choice of hers has influenced me massively – I have never wanted to make such a sacrifice – but that’s for another post, not this one!
I applied to the BBC after college but didn’t make the grade. I think it was radio I specifically applied to. But I made the classic mistake. I didn’t listen to the sort of radio for which I was applying.
But the media still held a great allure. I applied to the Reuters graduate scheme and didn’t get into that either. What was wrong with me? I didn’t write back then – that may have had something to do with it!
Eventually I got the booby prize. Reuters was involved in real-time news but also in the creation of news abstracts from publications around the world. I had a degree in Chinese and Spanish, and was able to wrangle my way onto the Asia Desk of their news database service. Officially I was an indexer/abstracter. Unofficially I was a data processor. But it did teach me how to summarize quite well!
Little did I know that by the time I reached my 50s, I’d have my own magazine (The Mutton Club) and my very own radio show! OK, not exactly radio, but a podcast which is near as dammit. Radio on demand I like to think of it as. Netflix for your ears. At time of writing, I’m fast approaching 100 episodes of the Magnificent Midlife podcast, which I can’t quite believe.
I’ve interviewed some incredible women and shared wonderful stories. I love digging deep to help them share their wit and wisdom. I’ve never been one for small talk! Deep and meaningful conversations tick all my boxes.
My midlife mentoring, podcasting and now also book writing journey has allowed me to be a guest on some amazing podcasts too. And the nice thing is, I get better at both hosting a podcast and being a guest on one, the more times I do it. Writing the book has definitely helped me hone my message better too.
I want to share my latest podcast guest outing because I was truly on fire in this one! Clarissa Kristjansson’s Thriving Thu Menopause podcast is brilliant in my view and I was delighted to be invited on to talk about my book, Magnificent Midlife: Transform Your Middle Years, Menopause and Beyond.
Clarissa and I are like two peas in a pod, I reckon, when it comes to menopause. We both get very annoyed by some of the silly myths being propagated about menopause and we’re concerned about how much money is often involved these days finding solutions for women. We agree women have been going through menopause for centuries and if we’re suffering lots now, we need to be curious about why that is and take action accordingly.
We had a lovely conversation which I think you’ll enjoy too. There were a lot of laughs. I was allowed to get up on my soapbox which I always love to do! It may make you think differently about quite a lot of issues.
Meet Alexandra Boyd, a woman of many talents! She’s an actress, in Mr Holland’s Opus, Titanic, and Coronation Street to name just a very few, a screenwriter and film director, a video games icon, a singer, and a campaigner. She’s also been incredibly brave recently in her personal life for love!
We talk about:
How she crossed the ocean for love in midlife
How she made the decision to give up one life for another one
What it’s like living in a mobile home in the woods
Moving from being in front of the camera to behind it
About her feature film Widow’s Walk and how that came to be made
Basing her film in the county where she grew up – Suffolk
How she secured Virginia McKenna in one of the lead roles
Holding the film premiere at Bafta
Championing other women in the film industry through her new foundation, Artemisia’s Daughters
Mari Smith is one of the foremost experts in Facebook marketing and is often referred to as the Queen of Facebook. She’s been named one of 7 women shaping digital marketing by IBM and one of the Top Ten Social Media Power Influencers many years in a row. She’s shared stages with the likes of Eckhart Tolle, Sir Richard Branson, Tony Robbins and Arianna Huffington to name a few. I’m a bit gob-smacked she’s joined me on the podcast! This is a long episode but there is so much goodness here.
We talk about: • How Mari maintains her positive outlook • Remembering to stay grateful despite difficulties • The new ways of connecting that have come about because of Covid • The differences between the UK and US around positivity and doing your own thing • The early days of starting to be an entrepreneur • Mari’s experience of Canada, UK and US culture • Maris’ very close connection to Scotland • Her thoughts on Scottish independence and Brexit having lived in the US for so long • Taking a bigger view on the state of the world • When sometimes only chocolate muffins will do the trick • Changing your name or your location if you want to change your destiny • Trusting astrocartography – locational astrology • Shaking up every day routines and embracing the pivot • Blending Mari’s love of people and technology • No one is immune from sadness and how we deal with it is important • Mari’s journey to finding her place in the world • Remaining relevant in a male dominant industry • ‘The Social Dilemma’ film and how social technology impacts us • Understanding the ‘perfect’ nature of what we see on social media • How Facebook has changed • Experience of ageism and sexism • Being the token female at events • The importance of being authentic, consistent, be compassionate and non-judgemental • How important boundaries are • The power of video when communicating with your audience • Mari’s desire to express all of herself as she evolves • Feeling the fear and going for it anyway • Letting your life speak
Jacqueline Perez is the founder of Kuel Life, an online magazine and shop for women over 45. Her mission is to redefine midlife for the modern woman and to create relevant content and products for older women.
We talk about: • Jack’s journey into entrepreneurship in starting Kuel Life • How Kuel Life was a huge pivot for Jack in thinking about the world • Jack’s initial struggle in coming to terms with ageing • How Jack wants to help both younger and midlife women • Jack’s realization that change needed to happen in her life • Feeling brave to speak out on what you want • Why menopause should be taught and talked about more with women early on in life • The problems with how we treat our elders in English-speaking societies • The differences between cultures and how they view age, and how that reflects on women in particular • The matriarchs in Jack’s Cuban family • Jack’s experience at a Bedouin wedding in Jordan • Jack’s expertise in taekwondo and journey into power-lifting • How some of the best relationships can form later in life • How much more important exercise is as you age and it’s never too late to start • Embracing who we are as women
Gilly Smith is an award-winning food writer, broadcaster, university lecturer, a retreat host and most recently podcaster. She’s written lots of books and presents and produces a number of food related podcasts including the Right 2 Food podcast for the Food Foundation.
We talk about: • How and why Gilly got started with her latest podcast: ‘Right 2 Food’ • Why Gilly became passionate about food sustainability • How Covid has brought food sustainability and availability to the fore • Why knowing where your food comes from and how it gets to you is important • Who to support with your money when it comes to food • Things you can do for your local food markets • Recognizing the simple things right under our noses • Why culturally linked foods are so important • Learning about the importance of food sustainability • Gilly’s experience with her own family recipes • Helping other find their voice through teaching about podcasting • Appreciating the foods you’re exposed to • It’s easier and cheaper to cook with a conscious • The importance of learning to cook and really savour food
I interview Juju Hook, author of Hot Flashes, Carpools, and Dirty Martinis—The Quintessential Guide for Turning Midlife into PrimeTime. There is so much wisdom in this episode on how to get out of our own way to create a magnificent next chapter. Truth bombs throughout!
We talk about: • How Juju took her first steps into writing • How to rediscover yourself at 45 or 60 • The lies we tell ourselves that hold us back • Breaking out of labels and self-made mental restraints • Not letting fear stop us trying new things • Using truth to move past self-loathing • Recognising our own mastery and making the most of that • Finding your leadership ability within • How to move past resistance to visibility • Leaning into our “essence” of influence • The joy of course-correction • Why we cover ourselves up as midlife women • Easy tools to deal with self-judgement and insecure thinking • How human attraction really works • Being true to yourself • Re-discovering yourself without changing yourself
Meet Alisoun Mackenzie, coach, author, retreat leader, yoga teacher and speaker amongst other things. She’s passionate about enabling all of us to make more of a difference in the world.
We talk about: • How Alisoun went from finance to building schools • Why our values get harder to ignore the older we get • Learning to listen to our inner voice, that niggling feeling • Making a difference as a white person without being a ‘white saviour’ • Questioning why you want to make a difference and where • How to channel your passion to give back to the planet • Having an extra layer of trauma when you’re childless not by choice • Why Alisoun decided to become a yoga teacher • How to always question yourself and constantly reinvent yourself • Camper vans just might be the new trend • Being strategic with your business’s fundraising • How fundraising can be a powerful tool for yourself and others • Making sure to always look after yourself
Jackie Lynch is a Registered Nutritional Therapist who’s written a very interesting book called The Happy Menopause. It’s specifically about how nutrition can help us flourish and I just love the title Happy Menopause.
If you’d rather read a summary transcription of this podcast episode you can do that here.
We talk about:
Why Jackie believes menopause is a transformational time in a woman’s life in a good way
Estrogen as the biddable, nurturing hormone
Why some women suffer badly in menopause and others don’t
The massive importance of diet and lifestyle in midlife and beyond
How the manner in which we lived when younger can impact our menopause experience
The impact of stress and the myth of having it all
How Rachel got her periods back after a diagnosis of early menopause
The importance of maintaining stable blood sugar levels
How the body produces stress hormones when blood sugar levels are not stable
How menopause may not be to blame for what’s happening to us
How our thoughts and beliefs can impact our experience of menopause
The importance of eating more protein with every meal and snack
Getting magnesium, calcium and iron from leafy green vegetables
How phytoestrogens mimic the actions of estrogen in the body
The wonder food that is flaxseed
The physiological stress we can put on our bodies through diet and lifestyle
Understanding whether HRT is right for you and how to balance that with diet and lifestyle
HRT is not a quick solution and still needs a good diet for the best support
How Rachel weaned herself off HRT at 51
How just small nutritional changes can make a huge difference
An interview with Feyi Raimi-Abraham, founder of a fabulous new company called The Black Dementia Company, set up during lockdown and inspired into creation by caring for her mother who has dementia.
We talk about:
• Why Feyi felt there was a need for this company • How lockdown accelerated that need • What she hopes to achieve with the company • What it’s like caring for her mother • When she first noticed signs of dementia in her mother • How the dementia progressed • How Feyi adapted to being her mother’s full time carer • Adjusting to her mother as a new person having been a strong, very active and independent woman in her past • The impact on Feyi’s wider family • The systems and tools she’s put in place to support her mum • Advice for people who suspect there may be an issue with their loved one and especially their parent • How can family best support the person diagnosed with dementia • Getting rid of the stigma of dementia • Looking out for signs of dementia • Simple tests that can be done to check for dementia • What Feyi has learnt about herself from becoming her mother’s carer • What Feyi would like listeners to know about dementia
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