In this episode of the Glowing Older podcast, host Nancy Griffin interviews Matt Thornhill, founder and CEO of Cozy Home Community and the advocacy movement Openly Gray. They discuss Matt's career journey from advertising to founding the Boomer Project and his insights into marketing to the 50+ demographic. Matt shares the inspiration behind Cozy Home Community, a middle-income housing solution for boomers, and the advocacy work of Openly Gray to combat ageism. The conversation highlights the importance of embracing aging positively and the innovative approaches to senior living.

About Matt

Boomer Expert • Futurist • Founder of Openly Gray and Cozy Home Community

Matt Thornhill is a nationally recognized expert on consumer behavior and the Boomer generation. After two decades in advertising on Madison Avenue and beyond, he founded a think tank devoted to understanding how Boomers are reshaping industries and society as they age.

His insights have guided Fortune 500 companies and major organizations—from Google, Walmart, and AARP to State Farm, Wells Fargo, and the National Governors Association and have been featured on NBC, CBS, CNBC, TIME, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times.

Co-author of the acclaimed business book Boomer Consumer, Matt now leads Openly Gray, a nonprofit advocacy grouptackling ageism by inspiring older adults to embrace aging as a privilege, not a problem. He’s also founder and CEO of Cozy Home Community, developing innovative housing for active older adults.

Key Takeaways

• Boomers have become the next generation of older adults. Ranging from age 61 to 79, next year the first boomers will turn 80. They are going to transform what it means to grow old.
• The 50+ market holds significant economic power, oftenignored by marketers. It takes lived experience to speak to the 50+ market. A 50 or 60-year-old advertising copywriter and art director know best how to talk to a 50- or 60-year-old consumer.
• Forty percent of boomers don't have a spouse or partner – 25 years ago it was 25 percent. Twenty-eight million people live alone. Being single means less income and social security and no caregiver in the home.
• Cozy Home Community is an intentional community of modular-built homes for middle-income older adults. Ten hours a month of volunteer time to the community is a stipulation of the lease. Neighbors serve neighbors. An AI-driven voice matching system establishes connection points between community members.

In this episode of the Glowing Older podcast, host Nancy Griffin interviews Dr. Kenneth Pelletier, a clinical professor of medicine and psychiatry at UCSF, about the science of longevity and the role of epigenetics. Dr. Pelletier shares insights into the importance of healthspan over lifespan, and the impact of diet, stress, exercise, and social support on longevity. He also discusses the potential and limitations of biohacking and the growing field of integrative medicine.

About Dr. Pelletier

Kenneth R. Pelletier, PhD, MD is a Clinical Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine; Department of Family and Community Medicine; and Department of Psychiatry at the University of California School of Medicine (UCSF) in San Francisco; and a Clinical Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine and Department Family and Community Medicine at the University of Arizona School of Medicine in Tucson.

At the present time, Dr. Pelletier is a medical and business consultant to the US Department of Health and Human Services, the World Health Organization (WHO), the National Business Group on Health, the Federation of State Medical Boards, the Wild Dolphin Project, and major corporations including Cisco, IBM, American Airlines, Prudential, Dow, Disney, Ford, Mercer, Merck, Pepsico, Ford, Pfizer, Walgreens, NASA, Microsoft ENCARTA, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, United Healthcare, Health Net, the Pasteur Institute of Lille, France, the Alpha Group of Mexico, and the Singapore Ministry of Health. He also serves on the boards of the Rancho la Puerta (Mexico), Nova Institute, Fries Foundation, American Institute of Stress (AIS), American Journal of Health Promotion (AJHP), as a Founding Board Member of the American Board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM), and as a peer reviewer for the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (JOEM), Annals of Internal Medicine, Health Affairs, and webMD.

Dr. Pelletier is listed in Who’s Who in America and in Who’s Who in the World. He has been featured on ABC World News, the Today program, Good Morning America, Dr Oz, the CBS Evening News, 48 Hours, the McNeil-Lehrer Newshour, CNN, FOX News, and CBS Sunday Morning.

Dr. Pelletier is the author of 15 major books including the international bestseller Mind as Healer, Mind as Slayer; Holistic Medicine: From Stress to Optimum Health; Longevity: Fulfilling Our Biological Potential; Healthy People in Unhealthy Places; Stress and Fitness at Work; Sound Mind – Sound Body: A New Model for Lifelong Health; The Best Alternative Medicine: What Works? What Does Not?; Stress Free for Good: Ten Scientifically Proven Life Skills for Health and Happiness; New Medicine: How to Integrate Conventional and Alternative Medicine for the Safest and Most Effective Treatment and Change Your Genes – Change Your Life: Creating Optimal Health with the New Science ofEpigenetics.

Key Takeaways

• Epigenetics is a relatively new science, developed in the last 15 years. Epigenetics are all of the influences that determine our health, wellbeing, and life expectancy after the sperm and ovum unite.
• Epigenetics plays a crucial role in determining health and life expectancy – 95 % of health, illness, and life expectancy are due to factors other than our genes. The role of diet, stress, physical activity and social support significantly influence genetic expression.
• There are no longitudinal studies for biohacking. Don’tgo into the periphery and engage in questionable practices. Sort hope from hype.
• Equal criteria for evaluating the outcomes of alternative and conventional medicine must be applied; both should be held to the same rigorous scientific standards to ensure their acceptability and effectiveness.

In this episode of the Glowing Older podcast, host Nancy Griffin interviews Michael Clinton, founder and CEO of Roar Forward. They discuss his book Roar Into the Second Half of Your Life, and the concept of New Longevity. Clinton shares insights on reimagining life after 50, the importance of health span over lifespan, and the evolving role of age inclusivity in society and business. The conversation also touches on the impact of ageism, the significance of travel, and the need for continuous learning and personal growth.

About Michael

Michael Clinton, in partnership with Hearst, is founder and CEO of ROAR Forward, a business-to-business intelligence, insights and content platform. ROAR Forward’s primary focus is the new demographic segment of individuals aged 50+who are redefining the second half of life in their careers, passions and lifestyles. ROAR Forward offerings include the ROAR Report with proprietary data and research, bulletins, seminars, workshops, along with original content and events that shed light on the dynamically changing market demographic of individuals aged 50-plus who now comprise 35% of the population.

Clinton serves on the board of The Stanford Center on Longevity and is a globally recognized speaker about the New Longevity. In December 2023, he was named to Estee Lauder’s first-ever Longevity Collective, a curated group of influential experts and global pioneers in longevity science and lifestyle. Clinton’s best-selling book, ROAR into the second half of your life, now in its fourth printing, is the springboard for ROAR Forward. As a contributing writer for Esquire, Men’s Health and Oprah Daily, Clinton frequently covers the topic of the new longevity movement. In 2024, Men’s Health named Clinton “the pivot pioneer” in a feature about the 5 men leading the longevity conversation.

In May 2019, Clinton was named senior media advisor to the CEO of Hearst after 21 years at the company. Previously, he was president of marketing & publishing director of Hearst Magazines and was a member of the board of directors of Hearst Corporation. Prior to that, Clinton was executive vice president of Condé Nast Publications.

Key Takeaways

• The New Longevity is about reinventing, reimagining, and rethinking the second half of life. Healthspan plus Wealthspan equals a great Lifespan.
• The acronym for ROAR is, the R, the reimaginationprocess. O own your numbers. A the action plan, a program that we call life layering, and the final R is your relationships, reassessing the people around you in the second half of life.
• The huge population of 50-plus impacts company and brands strategies, marketing and advertising, society and culture and infrastructure. Thirty five percent of the US population is currently 50 plus, with 60 million people 65 or older, growing to 80 million by 2040. To put into perspective, 100 years ago there were only seven million people over 65 in the US.
• Advertising needs to be age inclusive. Imagery and messaging in advertising reinforces ageist thinking, which becomes self-imposed ageism.

In this episode of the Glowing Older podcast, host NancyGriffin interviews Yvonne Caputo, author of Flying with Dad and Dying with Dad. Yvonne shares her journey to becoming an author, inspired by her father's stories from World War II. The conversation delves into the importance of having tough conversations about death and dying, the impact of advanced directives, and the profound joy that can accompany grief when honoring a loved one's wishes.

About Yvonne

Yvonne Caputo has been a teacher. She taught in public schools for 18 years. She has also been the Vice President of Human Resources at a retirement community, a corporate trainer and consultant, and a psychotherapist. She has a master’s degree in education and clinical psychology. Her book, Flying with Dad, is about her relationship with her father through his telling of World War II stories. Her second book, Dying with Dad, shares how she and her dad had tough conversations about what he wanted in the end.

She has always been a storyteller. She has used stories to widen students’ eyes and soften clients’ pain, and her stories have earned her rave reviews as a presenter and speaker.

Yvonne lives in Pennsylvania with her best friend (who is also her husband). Together they have three children, three grandchildren, and a Bernedoodle.

Key Takeaways

• Sorrow can exist with profound joy. Grief is accompanied by joy when honoring a loved ones wishes.
• Advanced directives play a crucial role in honoring aloved one's end-of-life wishes. To have tough conversations with aging loved ones, ask open-ended questions and being prepared to listen.
• The Five Wishes document is a tool for planning end-of-life care. It covers: 1) Who will make decisions for you?, 2) What kind of medical care do you want or not want?, 3) How comfortable do you want to be?, 4) How do you want people to treat you? and 5) What do you want your loved ones to know?
• Listening to the stories of your aging loved ones allows you to connect on a profoundly deep level. Spending more time together can be the first step to getting closer.

In this episode of the Glowing Older podcast, host Nancy Griffin interviews Jeff Gray, founder and CEO of AgeTech Connect. They discuss Gray's personal journey into the AgeTech space, innovative technologies that are making a difference, the challenges of funding startups in this sector, and the importance of addressing ageism in entrepreneurship. They also highlight the upcoming AgeTech Connect Summit and the resources available for those interested in AgeTech.

About Jeff

Jeffrey Gray is the Founder & CEO of AgeTech Connect, the fastest-growing ecosystem of AgeTech innovators worldwide. By convening startups, investors, healthcare leaders, and caregivers, Jeff is positioning Atlanta as the global center for excellence and innovation in AgeTech, while also making it best place for older adults and their loved onesto call home. Originally founded as AgeTech Atlanta the organization has grown to include innovation hubs in twelve cities throughout the US and Canada.

A serial entrepreneur, Jeff moved to Atlanta after selling his first tech venture to RealEstate.com and has since advised and mentored numerous startups in healthcare and technology. He has also held key leadership roles with nonprofit organizations such as City of Refuge, Points of Light, and Open Hand Atlanta—bridging technology, community health, and life sciences to create meaningful impact.

Key Takeaways

• AgeTech is any technology or tech-enabled service that improves the experience of aging. The AgeTech ecosystem encompasses a wide range of technologies beyond healthcare and home care, including travel and tourism, transportation, housing, retail, media and fintech.
• AgeTech Connect has volunteer-led virtual communities in 12 US cities throughout the US and Canada: Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Seattle, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, New York City, Washington DC, Boston, Toronto, Nashville, and Atlanta, hosting 45 - 50 in-person networking events a year.
• The largest segment of AgeTech is caregiving solutions. In the United States, more employees are balancing responsibilities for elder care than for childcare—and this challenge affects people at much younger ages than many realize.
• A story-led motivation based on personal experiences can be an inspiration for developing an AgeTech product, but must include a thoughtful go-to-market strategy. AgeTech founders need to understand the problem they are solving.

In this episode of the Glowing Older podcast, host NancyGriffin interviews Susie Ellis, Chair, CEO, and Co-Founder of the Global Wellness Summit and the Global Wellness Institute. They discuss the evolution of wellness, the importance of healthspan over lifespan, and the role of research in defining wellness. Susie shares insights on the history of the Global Wellness Summit's, the nonprofit initiatives, and the significance of social connections in wellness. The conversation also touches on biohackingtrends, self-care for aging well, and the future of wellness and longevity.

About Susie

Susie Ellis is the chair and CEO of the nonprofit Global Wellness Institute, considered the industry’s leading global research and educational resource. She is also chair and CEO of the Global Wellness Summit, an organization at the heart of the multi-trillion-dollar global wellness economy focused on facilitating collaboration amongst industry thought leaders.

Recognized as a leading authority on wellness trends, shesits on numerous academic and industry boards, including the EHL Hospitality Business School in Lausanne, the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics, and was also a member of the World Economic Forum’s “Accelerating Health and Well-being Initiative.” She holds an MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Key Takeaways

• The Global Wellness Institute provides wellness research at no cost. Research is crucial for defining and understanding wellness and longevity.
• The Global Wellness Institute defines 11 sectors of the $6.3 trillion dollar wellness economy: Wellness Real Estate; Physical Activity; Healthy Eating, Nutrition and Weight Loss; Public Health, Prevention, and Personalized Medicine; Traditional and Complementary Medicine; Personal Care andBeauty; Wellness Tourism; Spa Economy; Thermal and Mineral Springs; Workplace Wellness; Mental Wellness.
• The medical community is more interested in wellness post COVID. There is more research and science showing valuable steps that people can take to improve their health.
• Wellness modalities are the cornerstone of longevity. What contributes to wellness also contributes to longevity.

In this episode of the Glowing Older podcast, Nancy Griffininterviews Harry R. Moody, a distinguished professor and author, about his journey into activism in climate change, and the concept of legacy. Dr. Moody shares insights from his life, emphasizing the importance of hope, action, andintergenerational dialogue in addressing climate issues.

About Dr. Moody

Harry R. Moody is a graduate of Yale University and received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Columbia University. He has taught philosophy at Columbia University, Hunter College, New York University, and the University of California at Santa Cruz. He is the retired Vice President and Director of Academic Affairs for AARP in Washington, DC. He is currently Visiting Professor at Tohoku University in Japan, and Distinguished Visiting Professor at Fielding Graduate University’s Creativity and Wisdom Program.

Dr. Moody previously served as Executive Director of theBrookdale Center on Aging at Hunter College and Chairman of the Board of Elderhostel (now Road Scholar). Moody is the author of over 100 scholarly articles, as well as a number of books including: Abundance of Life: Human Development Policies for an Aging Society (Columbia University Press, 1988) and Ethics in an Aging Society (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1992).

His most recent book, Climate Change in an Aging Society,is the first book fully devoted to the impact of climate change on those who are old today―and those who will be old in decades to come. He is the editor of the Climate Change in an Aging Society and Human Values in Aging newsletters. In 2011 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society on Aging and in 2008 he was named by Utne Reader Magazine as one of “50 Visionaries Who AreChanging Your World.”

Key Takeaways

• Dr. Moody encourages action and hope, emphasizing that change requires collective effort.
• Hope is not the expectation of a better future but thebelief in doing what's right. “Hope is a verb with sleeves rolled up.” - David Orr, environmental educator and author.
• The concepts of aging and climate change are both perfect candidates for denial. We can overcome denial by facing up to things and doing what's possible.
• The “Four Horseman of the Climate Apocalypse” defined in Climate Change for an Aging Society are fire, flood, drought and heat wave.
• A Life Review asks, what have you done in your life isworth remembering, that is worth sharing with younger generations?
• Lasting change happens when generations come together. Older adults pass on their knowledge, wisdom, and experience to younger people. Theproblem with elders communicating with young people can be that elders think they know it all.

Email HRMoody@yahoo.com to subscribe to the free newsletters Climate Change in an Aging Society and Human Values in Aging.

Join host Nancy Griffin as she interviews Isabella Solano, the founder of Herralink, a nonprofit connecting high school students with senior community residents. Discover how Isabella's journey began and the transformative impact of her work and her vision for the future, aiming to embed Herralink within school systems and expand its reach nationwide.

About Isabella

Isabella Solano is the founder of Herralink, an intergenerational organization that connects high school students with residents in senior communities. She's worked with 40 high schools in Fairfax, Prince William, and Loudoun County to connect 900 volunteers with nearly 2,000 older adults. Herralink was recently acquired by Goodwin Living, where she'll work to expand its volunteer base in Alexandria, Falls Church, and Arlington. In the future, she hopes to scale her program across the country to create more friendships between the ages.

Key Takeaways

• Herralink connects high school students with residents in senior communities, coordinating directly with high school principals.
• Intergenerational programming reduces loneliness for both young adults and older adults.
• The program has more than 900 registered volunteers from 40 different high schools, connected them with 2,000 residents in 12 senior communities.
• Herralink’s services include one-hour activities for students to do arts and crafts, bingo, games, or chit chat sessions with residents, and a more meaningful one-on-one program where students connect with one resident identified as having little to no visitors.
• The loneliness that young adults experience in compounded by “digital echo chambers” that lack meaningful connection.