Late Bloomer Living Podcast

How Story and Humor Bring Hope in Heavy Times — with Sky Bergman

The world feels heavy right now.

 

In this conversation with award-winning filmmaker Sky Bergman, we explore how storytelling — especially across generations — can remind us that we’re not alone.

 

Sky shares what she learned while filming The Jollytologist®, her new documentary about humorist Allen Klein, and reflects on why humor, curiosity, and connection matter even more in difficult seasons.

 

We talk about grief and laughter, empathy in divided times, and the simple but radical power of listening to each other’s stories.

 

If you’ve been feeling the weight of the world… this one is for you.

*And be sure to listen to last week's episode with the Jollytologist® himself, Allen Klein.  I guarantee you'll feel better. 

 

🌻 If you’re feeling inspired, I’d love for you to share your thoughts about this episode on social media and tag me @latebloomerliving.

 

🌻Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode! 

 

🌻 Need a little more FUN in your life? Come to The PLAYshop!  Sign up for the waitlist and get in on the fun! 🛼 

 

You can also join the Age Agitators Club for more fun and inspiration as we navigate midlife together. Find out more at https://www.latebloomerliving.com/

Joy, Grief, and the Power of Humor with Allen Klein

Grief and joy are not opposites.

In this episode, I’m joined by Allen Klein — known as “The Jollytologist” — for a deeply human conversation about loss, resilience, and the surprising role humor can play in hard seasons of life.

After his wife’s three-year battle with a rare liver disease, Allen found himself navigating profound grief while raising their 10-year-old daughter. In the midst of hospital rooms and uncertainty, something unexpected kept showing up: laughter.

We talk about:

• The hospital moment that reshaped his understanding of grief
  
  
• Why humor can be healing — even in hospice
  
  
• Getting kicked out of Yale Drama School (and why it turned out to be a gift)
  
  
• The power of play, perspective, and choosing how we respond
  
  

Allen’s life and work are now the subject of a new documentary, The Jollytologist, directed by Sky Bergman. In our next episode, I’ll be speaking with Sky about the making of the film and why this story feels especially relevant right now.

There will also be an upcoming online screening before the film heads to festivals — I’ll be sharing details as soon as registration opens.

This isn’t a conversation about pretending everything is fine.

It’s about holding sorrow and joy at the same time — and discovering that sometimes laughter isn’t denial… it’s relief.

If you’re navigating loss, transition, or simply wondering how to stay open and playful in a complicated world, I hope this episode brings you comfort.

Lonely in a Crowd: Heart Health in Midlife Transitions

It’s National Heart Month. And if loneliness affects the heart as much as research suggests… we need to widen the conversation.

When we talk about heart health, we usually focus on cholesterol, steps per day, and cardio routines. All important. But what about the relational side of heart health?

In this solo episode of Late Bloomer Living, Yvonne Marchese explores how midlife transitions — parenting adult children, career pivots, menopause, divorce, retirement, grief, and reinvention — can quietly shift our sense of belonging.

Because you can feel lonely even in a crowded room.

Drawing from her own recent experience of losing a dear friend, Yvonne reflects on how meaningful conversations, community, and play helped soften grief and metabolize the heaviness of the world.

She weaves in research from:

• U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, who has called loneliness a public health crisis
  
  
• Harvard psychologist Dr. Ellen Langer on the mind–body connection
  
  
• Yale researcher Dr. Becca Levy on how beliefs about aging impact longevity and cardiovascular stress
  
  

This episode also explores:

• Why loneliness isn’t just emotional — it’s biological
  
  
• How chronic self-criticism activates stress in the body
  
  
• Why self-care is more than bubble baths
  
  

If you’re navigating a season of identity shift and craving deeper belonging — with others and with yourself — this conversation is for you.

Friendship, Purpose, and Life After 70 – A Different Kind of Love Story

As Valentine’s Day approaches, this episode offers a reminder that love doesn’t only live in romance — it also lives in friendship, shared purpose, and meaningful connection.

In this conversation, Yvonne sits down with Gail Zelitsky and Catherine Marienau, co-hosts of the podcast, Women Over 70: Aging Reimagined, to talk about how a friendship formed later in life grew into a powerful creative partnership.

Gail and Catherine share their individual paths — from unexpected reinvention and advocacy work to mentoring women returning to school later in life — and how their shared values eventually led them to build a platform amplifying the voices of women in their 70s, 80s, and beyond.

Together, they explore what it means to form deep friendships later in life, why collaboration looks different as we age, and how purpose and possibility don’t disappear with time — they often deepen.

This episode is part 2 of a series highlighting women who found friendship later in life and turned it into something meaningful. Gail and Catherine aren’t just talking about what’s possible after 70 — they’re living it.

You’re Not Alone: The Power of Sharing Midlife Stories

Midlife has a way of surfacing questions many women have carried quietly for years — about identity, desire, change, and who they’re becoming now.

In this episode, Yvonne is joined by writers and editors Dina Aronson and Dina Alvarez, co-editors of Midlife Private Parts, a deeply honest anthology that reflects the many ways women experience midlife.

Together, they explore what happens when women stop editing themselves and start telling the truth — about reinvention, menopause, friendship, pleasure, invisibility, grief, creativity, and growth.

This conversation is a reminder that midlife isn’t something to get through or fix — it’s something to inhabit fully.

If you’ve ever felt unsure, stuck, or quietly wondered if you were alone in how you’re feeling…
this episode is for you.

 

Reclaiming Yourself After Years of Overgiving with Wendy Perrotti

The Real Reason You Keep Saying Yes When You Mean No - And What to Do About It

 

Many women spend decades being the reliable one — the helper, the fixer, the one who always says yes. Somewhere along the way, it can start to feel exhausting… and a little confusing.

In this episode of Late Bloomer Living, I’m joined by returning guest Wendy Perrotti, a master-level certified coach, speaker, and author who helps women over 50 create what’s next in their lives. Together, we explore why people pleasing isn’t a personality flaw — it’s a coping strategy shaped by culture, values, and a desire to feel safe and needed.

 

We talk about:

• Why overgiving often feels so hard to let go of
  
• How thought patterns keep people-pleasing in place
  
• What healthy boundaries actually look like (and why they don’t have to feel harsh)
  
• Why midlife is such a powerful moment for reclaiming yourself
• How play and experimentation can gently guide reinvention

Wendy also shares the story behind her new book, Keep the Tomato — a grown-up picture book for people pleasers — and how learning to “keep a few tomatoes for yourself” can change everything.

If you’ve been feeling tired of always being the one who gives, this conversation offers clarity, compassion, and permission to begin choosing yourself again.

Letting Go of the Script in Midlife with Marc Ronick

Why trying something scary can unlock your next chapter

What happens when you give yourself permission to be a beginner again — in midlife?

In this episode of Late Bloomer Living, Yvonne Marchese is joined by her friend Marc Ronick for a candid conversation about play, fear, and reinvention.

After more than 20 years in podcasting, Marc decided to try something that genuinely scared him: improv classes. What began as a way to stretch his skills as a live podcaster quickly became a powerful personal practice — helping him loosen perfectionism, reconnect with play, and navigate a challenging season of growth in his 50s.

Together, Yvonne and Marc talk about:

• What it’s really like to walk into a room as a beginner later in life
• How improv helped Marc show up more fully — on the mic and in life
• Building a generous, supportive community through The Podcasting Morning Chat
• Producing a podcasting conference for the first time in midlife
• Why passion has to be bigger than fear if we want to grow

This episode is a reminder that play isn’t frivolous, being scared doesn’t mean you’re wrong, and midlife may be the perfect time to let go of the script and try something new.

Why Play Matters in Work — and Life with Brandi Heather

Most of us don’t think of ourselves as playful — especially at work.

Play can feel awkward, indulgent, or like something we were supposed to outgrow. But what if that discomfort is actually pointing us toward something essential?

In this episode of Late Bloomer Living, Yvonne Marchese sits down with playful change maker Brandi Heather to explore why play feels so uncomfortable for adults — and why that resistance might be exactly the clue we’re missing.

For many of us, the word work no longer fits the shape of our lives — or it fits very differently than it once did. Careers change. Some end. Some slow down. But the work of living doesn’t stop. And neither does our need for creativity, connection, and a sense of aliveness.

Brandi spent over 20 years as a kinesiology and health sciences professor before bringing her work into organizations, helping teams use play (often without calling it that) to reduce stress, improve communication, and unlock creativity. This isn’t about ping-pong tables in the break room or forced fun. It’s about nervous system regulation, self-awareness, resilience, and creating environments — at work and beyond — where people feel confident, connected, and capable of doing their best work.

If you’ve ever thought, “Play sounds nice, but I have deadlines,” this conversation is for you.

This episode matters because play isn’t a luxury — it’s a missing piece in how we work, cope, and stay human as adults.

Choosing Curiosity in an Anxious World with Lynn Borton

What if curiosity isn’t just something we feel — but something we choose?

 

In this thoughtful conversation, Yvonne sits down with Lynn Borton, host of Choose to Be Curious, to explore how curiosity can help us slow down, soften anxiety, and reconnect with a sense of wonder. Together, they talk about choosing curiosity over fear, embracing not-knowing, and why staying curious might be one of the most powerful practices for navigating midlife and an uncertain world.

Wear the Sparkle: Style, Confidence & Permission at Midlife

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I’m too old to wear that” — or noticing how easy it is to slowly disappear in midlife?

In this special holiday replay from Salty Sisters, the livestream I cohost with my friend Cat Corchado, we’re joined by the incredible Jennifer Polt, founder of Making Up for Glossed Time and a two-time guest on Late Bloomer Living.

Yes, this conversation starts with style — sequins, leopard print, metallic boots, and holiday outfits — but it quickly becomes something much deeper — and relevant all year long.

Jennifer isn’t really talking about clothes.  She’s talking about permission.

Permission to play.
Permission to take up space.
Permission to stop dressing — and living — like you’re trying to disappear.

Together, Cat, Jennifer, and I explore what happens in midlife when roles shift, confidence wobbles, and we’re quietly asking ourselves, Is this all there is? We talk about style as self-expression, confidence as a practice, and how small choices — even what you put on your body — can help you reconnect with who you’re becoming.

This episode is for anyone navigating midlife, or a season of reinvention — and wanting to feel a little more alive, expressive, and at home in their own skin.

✨ If this conversation sparks something in you and you want to explore playfulness beyond your closet, you can join the PLAYshop waitlist at latebloomerliving.com/play.

Go put on something that makes you feel good.
And remember — you’re not done yet.