Episode Summary
What if aging wasn’t something to fear… but something to design? In this empowering conversation, bestselling author and leadership expert Erika Andersen introduces the radical idea at the heart of her new book The New Old: that your “third act” can be your most vibrant chapter yet.
Drawing from research, decades of coaching experience, and her own personal reinvention, Erika breaks down the three guiding principles for aging well: Be the boss of your life, master your mi...
Episode Summary
What if aging wasn’t something to fear… but something to design? In this empowering conversation, bestselling author and leadership expert Erika Andersen introduces the radical idea at the heart of her new book The New Old: that your “third act” can be your most vibrant chapter yet.
Drawing from research, decades of coaching experience, and her own personal reinvention, Erika breaks down the three guiding principles for aging well: Be the boss of your life, master your mindset, and get good at change. We explore how internalized ageism limits people long before their bodies do, why curiosity keeps the brain young, and the surprising research that shows mindset alone can add an average of 7.6 years to your life.
From reframing what “midlife” actually means to learning entirely new skills in your seventies, this episode reframes aging as a deeply personal, totally customizable adventure. If you’re in your 50s, 60s, 70s — or simply planning ahead — this joyful rebellion against age stereotypes will encourage you to write your own story all the way through.
Show Notes and Chapters
00:00 — The truth about agency in later life
00:52 — Rebelling against aging stereotypes
01:20 — Who is Erika Andersen? Introducing The New Old
02:40 — What “third act” really means
04:05 — Why Erika shifted from leadership books to aging well
05:18 — Pandemic reflections and redefining her own future
06:12 — The new reality: people are living longer than ever
07:30 — Surprising research on longevity and mindset
09:02 — How aging looks different today
10:23 — Erika’s move to Spain & learning Spanish in her late 60s
12:40 — The three principles of aging well
15:00 — Helping people who feel “out of ideas” post-career
19:10 — The role of mindset in shaping the third act
20:00 — The Yale mindset study: 7.6 years added
23:15 — The simple 3-step process to shift your self-talk
25:10 — Are younger generations less ageist?
27:00 — Companies trying (and failing) to market to boomers
29:00 — Curiosity as a lifelong anti-aging tool
33:00 — How to “modify gracefully” as life changes
36:00 — The importance of learning new things at any age
40:00 — What Spain gets right about old age
43:00 — Connection: the thread running through everything
44:55 — You control more about aging than you think
Resources
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The New Old: Crafting Your Best Later Life — by Erika Andersen
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Erika’s website: Erika Andersen, Nationally-Known Business Thinker & Author
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Erika’s Substack: The New Old
