Podcast
Becoming a Sage with Dr. Jann Freed
Hosted by Jann Freed · EN
Dr. Jann discusses living, aging, and retiring the word "retirement" with interesting guests from diverse backgrounds and walks of life.
17episodes
Episodes
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Becoming a Sage: A Conversation with Dina Denham Smith
Nov 1900:26:44Tap to summarizeDina Denham Smith is an executive coach and strategic advisor who helps senior leaders build capacity, scale impact, and thrive in complex environments. She has coached leaders at top companies including Google, Netflix, Goldman Sachs, Stripe, and Adobe.Her practical approach draws on early career experiences being placed in high-stakes leadership roles—often as the only woman in the room—managing major clients, mergers, IPOs, and strategic initiatives. She learned firsthand that top-level success requires more than expertise.Dina’s framework centers on three pillars: Results (strategic focus and outcomes), Relationships (trust and influence), and Resilience (high performance without burnout).Previously, she served as EVP of a private equity firm, helping grow sales 15x, led a 75-person team at a digital agency, and began her career in consulting at PwC.She holds an MS in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and an MBA from the University of Michigan and is credentialed by the ICF and EMCC. A prolific thought leader, she has written 60+ leadership articles and co-authored the bestselling Emotionally Charged (Oxford, 2025). She lives in the Bay Area with her family.
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Becoming a Sage: A Conversation with Jenny Lisk
Oct 1400:44:01Tap to summarizeJenny Lisk is the founder of the Widowed Parent Institute. She is an award-winning author and widowed mom dedicated to helping widowed parents increase their family’s well-being.Jenny’s books, Future Widow and Widowed Parents Unite, along with her show, The Widowed Parent Podcast, guide the journey of solo parenting after loss.Her work has been featured in The Washington Post, Katie Couric Media, Yahoo Life, ParentMap, and more. She lives in Redmond, Washington, with her two teenagers.
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Becoming a Sage: A Conversation with Sari Botton
Sep 2300:25:29Tap to summarizeSari Botton publishes Oldster Magazine, Memoir Land, and Adventures in Journalism. She was the Writer in Residence in the creative writing department at SUNY New Paltz for Spring, 2023. Her Oldster Magazine on Substack has over 67,000 monthly subscribers.
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Becoming a Sage: A Conversation with Rick Moody, Ph.D.
Aug 2600:24:30Tap to summarizeHarry (Rick) Moody, Ph.D. retired as Vice President for Academic Affairs with AARP and is currently Visiting Faculty in the Creative Longevity and Wisdom Program at Fielding Graduate University and Visiting Professor at Tohoku University in Japan.He is the author of many scholarly articles and books. He is editor of the Human Values in Aging newsletter, with 5,000 subscribers monthly. His new book, Climate Change in an Aging Society, was published this year by Routledge.
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Becoming a Sage: A Conversation with Marci Alboher
Aug 5, 202500:23:52Tap to summarizeMarci Alboher, one of the nation’s leading authorities on career issues and workplace trends, is a vice president at CoGenerate. Marci’s current focus is on the power of connecting, collaborating and innovating across the generations.A former blogger and columnist for The New York Times, her latest book is The Encore Career Handbook: How to Make a Living and a Difference in the Second Half of Life.Marci is regularly called upon for commentary in media outlets around the world, and she has been interviewed by countless news organizations, including NBC’s Today and Nightly News, National Public Radio, and USA Today.She is a Senior Advisor to Girls Write Now, serves as a mentor-editor for The OpEd Project, and is on the faculty of the Modern Elder Academy.Earlier in her career, she spent a decade practicing law. She lives in New York City with her husband Jay.You can find her on X (formerly Twitter) @heymarci.
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Becoming a Sage: A Conversation with Jan Golden
Jul 9, 202500:25:49Tap to summarizeShe was tired of the “Damn, you’re old” cards and decided to do something about it. Jan Golden, a creative entrepreneur and pro-age advocate, created Age-Friendly Vibes. This stationery brand celebrates age with inspiration and humor and highlights the positive aspects of getting older. Once you’re aware of ageism, you see it everywhere.
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Becoming a Sage: A Conversation with David McNally
Mar 18, 2025Tap to summarizeDavid McNally is the author of Even Eagles Need a Push, The Eagle’s Secret, and Be Your Own Brand. He is also the producer of two inspiring documentaries, The Power of Purpose and If I Were Brave.David has spoken to audiences all over the world and is a member of the Speakers Hall of Fame.His latest book, If You’re Alive – Your Mission on Earth Isn’t Finished, was released this past October. Aimed at those who, at sixty-plus, are entering a new phase of their lives, If You’re Alive is an inspiring guide for answering the question: How do I make my next years some of my best years?
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