What happens when you stop bending to other people’s expectations and start honoring your own?

Meet Marilynn Larkin - a 76-year-old journalist, health communicator, certified fitness professional, and the fierce founder of Get UnBent Now.

Marilynn is living proof that aging doesn’t mean slowing down or playing small. In fact, she just competed in her second bodybuilding competition (yes, really!). In this episode, we dive into:
✨ Dissolving the inner scripts that keep us stuck
✨ Why perfectionism is overrated - and how to ditch it
✨ Dynamic posture and reclaiming your physical presence
✨ Facing a cancer diagnosis with clarity, courage, and choice
✨ Saying no to stereotypes and yes to strength, at any age

Whether you're dancing with reinvention or simply sensing there’s more waiting for you, this conversation will remind you: it’s never too late to be the boldest version of yourself.

🔗 Learn more about Marilynn and her work: visit GetUnBent.com and follow her on IG and TikTok via her handle: @getunbentnow

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 look like to stay vibrant, visible, and powerfully creative in your 70s?

I was honored to chat with A’Lelia Bundles - renowned journalist, bestselling author, and great-granddaughter of the unforgettable A’Lelia Walker, a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance.

Her new book, Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance, is more than a biography. It’s a vibrant celebration of a woman who helped shape a cultural revolution. Through storytelling, archival research, and deep ancestral reverence, Bundles brings Walker’s world to life—her salons, her sparkle, and her spirit of joy.

But this episode isn’t just about the past. It’s about how we live with purpose today. A’Lelia shares what it’s like to launch a major book tour in her 70s, travel city to city sharing deeply personal stories, and keep her energy high while honoring a legacy that’s emotional, powerful, and still unfolding.

We also get candid about the realities of aging—especially as a Black woman navigating decades of bias and invisibility. A’Lelia doesn’t hold back: she talks about the pushback, the underestimation, and the moments that demanded resilience and radical self-trust.

What emerges is a joyful, resonant, and wise conversation about owning your age, doing meaningful work, and sharing your truth—without apology.

Highlights from the episode:

• The surprising hustle behind launching Joy Goddess
• Staying emotionally strong while telling a family story in public
• How ageism shows up—and how she rises above it
• The freedom and fire that come with being in your 70s
• Why joy isn’t frivolous—it’s legacy

This conversation is a must-listen for anyone exploring what it means to age with intention, expression, and impact.

👉 Order Joy Goddess here.
👉 Follow A’Lelia Bundles via her website here.

Your story matters. Your joy is powerful. Your age is not a limitation—it’s an asset.

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.

Listener, get ready for a deeply inspiring and eye-opening convo that flips the script on aging.

Our guest is Helen Hirsh Spence - a distinguished educator, thought leader, and unapologetic age equity advocate who's rewriting the narrative around growing older.

After decades of leadership in Canada’s education system, Helen had her own run-in with ageism, and instead of fading quietly into the background, she lit a fire.

That experience sparked her to found Top Sixty Over Sixty, an innovative platform that celebrates the wisdom, resilience, and immense value of older adults in our workplaces and communities.

From her career pivot to her hit 2024 TEDx Talk (over 100K views and counting!), Helen is redefining what it means to age boldly.

We dive into:
💥 Her firsthand experience with ageism and how it galvanized her mission
🧠 Why we need a longevity mindset now more than ever
🤝 The power of intergenerational collaboration and reciprocal mentorship
💼 Why older women in the workplace are still overlooked and how to change that
🌎 The economic and societal upsides of embracing age equity
🗣️ Plus: elder speak, workplace bias, and how we can shift the culture - together.

Helen’s clarity, compassion, and conviction will leave you nodding, cheering, and rethinking everything you thought you knew about aging.

As Helen says: “Age is not a barrier—it’s an asset.” And wow, does she walk that talk.

📌 Links & Resources:
•Learn more about Top Sixty Over Sixty
•Watch Helen’s TEDx Talk: A Longevity Mindset Can Change the World
•Follow Helen on LinkedIn

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.