What happens when women refuse to fade quietly with age?

In this powerful episode of Don’t Be Caged By Your Age, I sit down with renowned feminist scholar and cultural critic Susan J. Douglas, author of In Our Prime - How Older Women Are Reinventing the Road Ahead, to explore the intersection of sexism and ageism — and why older women are uniquely positioned to reshape the road ahead.

Susan shares what fueled her decades-long focus on sexism in media and culture, and why she believes gendered ageism is one of the most urgent — and overlooked — issues facing women today. Together, we unpack how society pressures women to become invisible as they age, why intergenerational solidarity matters, and how reclaiming visibility is both a personal and political act.

This conversation is a rallying cry for women 65+ who are seeking fulfillment, purpose, and success on their own terms — and a reminder that aging can be a time of expansion, activism, and becoming.

✨ If you’re ready to age out loud, challenge limiting narratives, and step fully into your prime, this episode is for you.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why sexism alone doesn’t explain women’s experiences of aging
• What gendered ageism looks like in media, marketing, and culture
• The importance of intergenerational feminism and bridge-building
• Reclaiming visibility, purpose, and agency after 65
• Why older women matter — now more than ever

This episode is an invitation to women 65+ — and to anyone who believes aging is about becoming, not declining — to step fully into their prime.

To learn more about Susan, her current book In Our Prime, and her other extraordinary achievements and books, and her current role as the Catherine Neafie Kellogg Professor of Communication Studies at The University of Michigan - please visit her website here.

If you found inspiration from this conversation, please rate, review and share this episode.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, so be sure to hop on over to Don’t Be Caged By Your Age on LinkedIn or Instagram. Or leave a message on the website here.

☕ Love listening to Don’t Be Caged By Your Age? Join the movement to end ageism and celebrate pro-aging!

For just $5 a cup, you can sponsor the podcast and help:
✨ Amplify inspiring voices
✨ Break age-related stereotypes
✨ Reach more listeners worldwide
💻 Visit: Buy Me A Coffee

Every cup makes a difference - thank you! 🧡

Waving from Boston – cheers!

Ande ♥

CONNECT with me online - I'd love to learn how you're shattering ageism!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/
https://www.instagram.com/dontbecagedbyyourage

SPONSORSHIP
If you resonate with the show’s mission of shattering ageism and age-related expectations so folks can thrive after 65, please reach out to me to learn more about making an impact through sponsoring the Don’t Be Caged By Your Age podcast – ande@dontbecagedbyyourage.com.

What does it mean to age with purpose, curiosity, and conviction — especially while living in another country?

In this episode of Don’t Be Caged By Your Age, I sit down with Robert W. Norris, a 75-year-old Vietnam War conscientious objector, longtime resident of Japan, retired university professor, and author of multiple novels and memoirs ... two of which he wrote in his seventies.

Robert shares his extraordinary life journey, from growing up in Northern California to refusing to fight in the Vietnam War and serving time in a military prison, to settling in Japan in 1983. We talk about what it’s really like to age as a foreigner in Japan, how older adults are viewed, and the realities that exist beyond the romanticized version many of us imagine.

We also explore the power of writing later in life, the influence of his mother on his memoirs, the importance of staying physically active and socially connected, and why intergenerational relationships matter so deeply as we age.

Robert’s story is a powerful reminder that aging isn’t a closing chapter ... it’s an invitation to keep showing up fully.

To learn more about Robert's wonderful memoirs, please visit his website here.

If you found inspiration from this conversation, please rate, review and share this episode.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, so be sure to hop on over to Don’t Be Caged By Your Age on LinkedIn or Instagram. Or leave a message on the website here.

☕ Love listening to Don’t Be Caged By Your Age? Join the movement to end ageism and celebrate pro-aging!

For just $5 a cup, you can sponsor the podcast and help:
✨ Amplify inspiring voices
✨ Break age-related stereotypes
✨ Reach more listeners worldwide
💻 Visit: Buy Me A Coffee

Every cup makes a difference - thank you! 🧡

Waving from Boston – cheers!

Ande ♥

CONNECT with me online - I'd love to learn how you're shattering ageism!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/
https://www.instagram.com/dontbecagedbyyourage

SPONSORSHIP
If you resonate with the show’s mission of shattering ageism and age-related expectations so folks can thrive after 65, please reach out to me to learn more about making an impact through sponsoring the Don’t Be Caged By Your Age podcast – ande@dontbecagedbyyourage.com.

As soon as I turned 65, something shifted in the exam room… and not for the better.

In this episode, I’m sharing my personal experience with ageism in health care - how the tone of my medical appointments changed, why the attention to my symptoms dropped, and why so many of us suddenly get a pat on the shoulder instead of real care.

This isn’t just about Medicare or paperwork.

It’s about what happens when the medical system quietly decides we’re “too old” for deeper investigation.

I break down:

• The subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways ageism shows up in doctor’s offices
• Why the system often stops ordering tests after 65
• The stereotypes and assumptions that leave older adults underdiagnosed and overlooked
• How we can push back, advocate for ourselves, and get the care we deserve
• The exact phrases that shift conversations with clinicians
• And why refusing to internalize medical ageism is an act of self-respect

And because I never want you walking into a doctor’s appointment unprepared, I created a free one-page guide you can take to your next annual physical:

👉 “What to Ask For at Your Annual Physical After 65”
This checklist covers the physical, mental-health, and cognitive screenings every adult over 65 should be receiving, but often aren’t.

Grab it here and use it as your personal advocacy tool.

Growing older doesn’t mean fading into the background of the medical system.
We deserve curiosity, attention, and care at every age — and we’re not afraid to ask for it.

✨ Tap here to tune into EP 24 to hear Tami Barber's story about firing her cancer doctor - I know you'll love meeting this former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and Love Boat star.

If you found inspiration from this conversation, please rate, review and share this episode.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, so be sure to hop on over to Don’t Be Caged By Your Age on LinkedIn or Instagram. Or leave a message on the website here.

☕ Love listening to Don’t Be Caged By Your Age? Join the movement to end ageism and celebrate pro-aging!

For just $5 a cup, you can sponsor the podcast and help:
✨ Amplify inspiring voices
✨ Break age-related stereotypes
✨ Reach more listeners worldwide
💻 Visit: Buy Me A Coffee

Every cup makes a difference - thank you! 🧡

Waving from Boston – cheers!

Ande ♥

CONNECT with me online - I'd love to learn how you're shattering ageism!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/
https://www.instagram.com/dontbecagedbyyourage

SPONSORSHIP
If you resonate with the show’s mission of shattering ageism and age-related expectations so folks can thrive after 65, please reach out to me to learn more about making an impact through sponsoring the Don’t Be Caged By Your Age podcast – ande@dontbecagedbyyourage.com.