The Midlife Mentors

Latest Episodes:

Sally Gunnell OBE: Overcoming Life's Hurdles At Midlife Feb 23, 2025

Show notes

On this week’s episode of The Midlife Mentors podcast we’re thrilled to be joined by Olympic gold medalist, and health and wellbeing ambassador Sally Gunnell OBE.

Sally shares her incredible story with us - from when she was first spotted by her coach at 14, to how she navigated retirement from professional sport at the age of 31. Sally openly shares how her mindset held her back in her early career, and how she still uses the tools she learnt today to achieve her goals as a business owner, speaker and mentor.

Finally, Sally offers us some wonderful insights into staying healthy and happy at midlife, focusing particularly on the positive lifestyle changes we can make. This is such an energising, inspirational conversation and we hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed recording it.

Connect with Sally at the below links:

Instagram: @sallygunnell

https://www.lifeshurdle.com/

https://www.sallygunnell.com/

Support the show

Please remember, if you find the show helpful or it makes you laugh, motivates and inspires you - please do like, share and rate us. We don't run ads on the podcast or for the show, because we want to keep it as enjoyable for you to listen as possible. So if you can help us spread the word, we'd be incredibly grateful.
For more information about The Midlife Mentors, click the below link:
https://linktr.ee/themidlifementors.com
Tik Tok: @themidlifementors
IG: @midlifementors

The Extinction Of Experience: Interview with Author Christine Rosen Feb 15, 2025

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

Something we’ve talked about a lot on The Midlife Mentors podcast is the impact of social media and the digital world we live in, in particular on our relationships. In this episode we dive deeper as we’re joined by Christine Rosen, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and author of the thought-provoking book The Extinction of Experience.

In a world increasingly dominated by digital technology, many of us have become disconnected from direct, meaningful encounters with the natural environment and with each other.

Christine’s work delves into how and why this shift has happened—and the profound consequences it may have for our well-being, our culture, and even our understanding of ourselves.

During our conversation, we explore the roots of this “extinction of experience,” uncover what it means in practical terms for our day-to-day lives, and consider how we might reclaim a more authentic and engaged way of living. Whether you’re a concerned parent or educator, or simply curious about how modern life shapes our worldview, this discussion promises fresh perspectives and, hopefully, a few solutions to help us reconnect.

Buy Christine's book at the below link:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Extinction-Experience-Christine-Rosen/dp/1847922082

https://www.aei.org/

Pre-order James' book The Midlife Male Handbook: A Man's Guide To Thriving Through The Andropause at the links below:
Amazon
https://tinyurl.com/2fww2k9s
Waterstones
https://tinyurl.com/2ktp637e
WH Smith
https://tinyurl.com/4rnvjsjy

Support the show

12 Midlife Hacks That Actually Work! Feb 08, 2025

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

We’re bombarded on a daily basis with ways to live our best life - from managing our mental wellbeing and getting fit, to living longer and having better relationships. So in this episode we wanted to share 12 midlife hacks that ACTUALLY work.

The reality is, success comes from an accumulation of small changes that build up over time. These tips are ones we actively pursue ourselves - having cut through all the fluff and pseudo science out there and what’s more they’re super simple. So let’s get into it!

Pre order James' book here:

Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/2fww2k9s

Waterstones: https://tinyurl.com/2ktp637e

WH Smith: https://tinyurl.com/4rnvjsjy

Support the show

Tackling Ageism: An Interview With Professor Sarah Vickerstaff Feb 01, 2025

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

Something we started to focus on towards the end of last year is the issue of ageism in the workplace. We started to hear more and more anecdotal stories about people being unable to find new roles on the basis of their age, and even spoke to recruitment professionals off the record who told us that clients were filtering applicants by age.

Clearly there’s a huge personal cost to ageism, but in today’s skill shortage environment there can also be great cost to organisations. The job site Total Jobs released research on ageism in 2024 that highlighted some disturbing trends, with 59% of recruiters admitting to making age-based assumptions and 46% considering candidates over 57 “too old.”

We wanted to know more, so in this episode we’re joined by Professor Sarah Vickerstaff, Professor Emerita of Work and Employment at the University of Kent, and a leading expert in this field. She co-authored the Total Jobs research and she shares with us not only her findings about how age discrimination manifests in the job market, but most importantly—practical steps we can all take to create more inclusive, respectful work environments.

Whether you’re an employer aiming to retain valuable talent or an employee seeking fair treatment, this conversation will shed light on the realities of workplace ageism and offer pathways for positive change. So settle in, and get ready for an insightful discussion that might just change how you view your career journey and the role age plays in it. We hope you enjoy it.
For more information about Sarah click below:
https://www.kent.ac.uk/school-of-social-sciences/people/1451/vickerstaff-sarah
Email:
s.a.vickerstaff@kent.ac.uk

Support the show

Navigating Political Polarisation Jan 25, 2025

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to another episode of The Midlife Mentors podcast and today we’re diving into a topic that’s more relevant than ever: Navigating Political Polarisation….

In today’s world, it’s hard to escape the constant tension and divisiveness that seems to be everywhere. From social media to family dinners, it can feel like political opinions are driving us further apart. But what does this mean for our mental and physical wellbeing? How do we maintain our mental clarity, keep stress at bay, and engage in healthy debates when the world feels so divided?

So in this episode, we’re going to explore how to navigate political polarisation with resilience, empathy, and, importantly, an open mind. We also share some tips on protecting our mental health and keeping emotional balance.

Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed by the current political climate or just want to know how to engage more thoughtfully, we’ve got you covered. Let’s dive into how we can navigate this time with open minds and a calm approach.
To pre order James' book: The Midlife Male Handbook: A Man's Guide To Thriving Through Andropause, please click the link below:
https://tinyurl.com/rafscm7u
Marbella Midlife Reset Retreat:
https://thirtyeightdegreesnorth.com/midlife-reset-marbella/

Support the show

Changing The Menopause Conversation: Interview with Kate Muir Jan 18, 2025

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

On this week’s episode of The Midlife Mentors podcast we’re absolutely thrilled to be joined by Kate Muir, who is well known for being the creator and producer of the groundbreaking documentary with Davina McCall on the menopause which premiered in 2021 and changed the menopause conversation in the UK forever.

As a women’s health advocate and author of books on the menopause and the pill, this conversation with Kate is incredibly uplifting, insightful and informative. She shares how she had her own midlife crisis, brought on by the menopause - and brilliantly, how the initial rejections for her documentary concept on the menopause fuelled her passion to get the message out there even more and eventually led to Channel 4 and Davina McCall becoming involved.

Kate talks about HRT, the importance of combining it with lifestyle factors such as weight lifting and nutrition and also the impact menopause has on our brain health.

We know you’re going to find this a fascinating episode and we can’t wait to hear your feedback.
https://katemuir.co.uk/
IG: @menoscandal
Marbella Retreat (March 13-16th):
https://thirtyeightdegreesnorth.com/midlife-reset-marbella/

Support the show

The Ultimate Way To Set & Achieve Your 2025 Goals Jan 11, 2025

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

As promised at the end of 2024, this podcast is all about setting yourself up for an amazing 2025. We’re covering goal setting but in an uplifting, fun and engaging way. We’ll take you through a process, share what we’ve got in store in our own lives and business this year and also address how habits and beliefs can hold us back.

This is a super practical alternative to many of the dry goal setting approaches out there and we hope you not only enjoy it, but give yourself permission to prioritise it.
Midlife Mastery for £49! Click HERE
Marbella Retreat: March 13-16th
https://thirtyeightdegreesnorth.com/midlife-reset-marbella/

Support the show

A Review Of 2024 Dec 14, 2024

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

It’s that time of year when we naturally take stock of how the year’s panned out. A vast majority of us tend to think about what we didn’t do or achieve rather than what went well - in fact it’s human nature.

So in this episode we’re going to take you through a 5 step process to review and celebrate 2024 with us, encouraging you to reflect on key lessons and potential areas to focus on for next year. And the best bit? We share our 2024 with you - the highlights, the lowlights and everything in between!

We hope you enjoy this as much as we enjoyed recording it!

Support the show

Too Old To Work...? Dec 08, 2024

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

In November research was released that showed the average age at which candidates are considered “too old” for job roles is 57. This ties in with what we’ve heard anecdotally working with organisations and clients - that ageism is now a significant issue in the workplace.

We have an ageing population and an increasing life span with many people happy to work beyond retirement - so how do we foster a more age inclusive work culture?

In this episode we dive into the shocking stats around age and work, look at the benefits of having an age diverse workforce, dispel some myths about older workers and look ahead to what organisations can be doing to help create a more age inclusive culture.

Support the show

Dealing With Disappointment Nov 23, 2024

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

By the time we hit mid-life it’s highly likely we’ve experienced a lot of disappointments and things just generally not turning out the way we expected them to. This can often crush our spirit, leading to self doubt, negative self talk and a feeling of hopelessness. Perhaps we even give up on our dreams.

So in this episode we discuss what causes disappointment in the first place and we also offer up 10 ways to move through it so you can begin the journey of regaining your energy, confidence and faith that things will get better with time.

Support the show

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected