45 Forward
There are many people who work for social service organizations during their lifetime, but few do it with the passion and vision of Paul Arfin. In today’s episode, Paul talks about his long and storied career, starting out in the Peace Corps and progressing though a series of groundbreaking social programs on Long Island. He’ll chronicle his multiple initiatives supporting youth organizations in the region, as well as Latin American migrant workers. Ever a pioneer, he'll describe his shift toward blending advocacy for both youth and older adults, as the New York coordinator for...
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As we move through our fast-paced lives, year after year, trying to juggle personal, family and work demands, we inevitably face a pointed question: Has my life been a success? We’d like to think so, but how would we define success? And how would we achieve it—especially when we often find ourselves buffeted by unexpected circumstances, feeling out of balance and unfulfilled? In today’s episode, I talk with Sal LaGreca and Michael Mannix, co-founders of Unparalleled Performance and co-authors of “The 5Ls,” who will take us on a pathway to personal and professional success. What are...
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For people with disabilities, leading an independent life can be an extraordinary challenge—at any age. But one proven way to help the disabled lead lives with greater independence is through the companionship of service dogs. In today’s episode, we talk with Dorian Stern, the director of philanthropy for the Northeast region of Canine Companions, a national nonprofit organization that provides remarkable, highly trained service dogs to adults, children and veterans with disabilities. Now in its 50th year, Canine Companions offers services at no cost to qualified individuals. Dorian,...
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As we look forward to the end of winter, there’s always a bright spot in February—Valentine’s Day, our annual celebration of romantic love and friendship. But love can be complicated and hard to find (and keep) these days, amid the swift currents of social and cultural change. Many marriages end in divorce; children are estranged from their families; sexual abuse remains a troubling societal concern; friendships are fractured over politics; and people of all ages report widespread loneliness. Our world of relationships is in crisis. So how do we move forward? In today’s...
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When experts talk about financial planning for retirement, many of them assume that people are following a standard life script—go to college, get married, buy a house, have kids and a career until traditional retirement. But a growing number of adults do not have children, and in fact, are choosing to be child-free. According to one recent survey, 47% of U.S. adults younger than 50 say they are unlikely to ever have kids. In today’s episode, I talk with Bri Conn, the Chief Experience Officer of Childfree Wealth, a firm that specializes in financial planning for adults who are childfree by...
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Today, on the 5th anniversary of the 45 Forward podcast, my guest is Dr. Andrea Gould-Marks, a licensed psychologist, entrepreneurial coach, podcaster and seminar leader, based in Arizona—who also happens to be my life-long friend. We’ll be talking about our collective experiences over the years promoting creative strategies through times of change, offering resources and guidance for people navigating life’s crossroads, both personally and professionally. We’ll share our respective evolutions to where we’ve come today: I, with Roel Resources, moving to podcasting and...
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The first time I met Dr. Ken Dychtwald was in 1989, when I was writing a cover story about older workers as a business reporter for Newsday, Long Island’s daily newspaper. I remember it well. I was interviewing job experts and workers who talked about the frustration they felt being overlooked by employers—especially at a time when most companies, facing acute labor shortages, could ill afford to do so. Ken was the author of a best-selling book, “Age Wave,” (he now has written 19 books) and was the founder of an acclaimed think tank bearing the same name. At the time Ken explained what...
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As we come to the close of another year, it is a time when we naturally look both backward and forward. In looking back, it is often a time when we (individually and collectively) reflect on passings—the death of important people in our lives. Some of them are lost through long, debilitating declines; others are lost suddenly, wrenched from us without morning. Either way, we mourn the losses; we seek ways to cope with and process our grief; to preserve their memories and find ways to move on. In today’s episode, I’m talking with Rachel Zimmerman, the author of “Us, After,” a memoir...
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Several years ago, as Scott Fisher and Ben Green approached their 70th birthdays, the challenges of aging loomed large for these two lifelong friends.
info_outlineAs we come to the close of another year, it is a time when we naturally look both backward and forward. In looking back, it is often a time when we (individually and collectively) reflect on passings—the death of important people in our lives. Some of them are lost through long, debilitating declines; others are lost suddenly, wrenched from us without morning. Either way, we mourn the losses; we seek ways to cope with and process our grief; to preserve their memories and find ways to move on. In today’s episode, I’m talking with Rachel Zimmerman, the author of “Us, After,” a memoir centered on the death of her husband, who committed suicide at the age of 50. As an award-winning journalist, her story naturally begins with a search for answers: How could the man she’d married, a devoted father and MIT professor with many friends, with no history of mental illness, have done this? But her exploration ends up being much more than a search for facts. Her book examines the devastation and resurgence of domestic life; the mental struggles between private and public lives; the secrets we keep; the work of motherhood; and the rediscovery of love, and the good of what remains. It is a deeply personal, absorbing and yes, inspiring, story.
About the Guest:
Rachel Zimmerman is an award-winning journalist who has written about health and medicine for more than two decades. She’s a contributor to The Washington Post and previously worked as a staff writer for The Wall Street Journal and a health reporter for WBUR, Boston’s public radio station, where she co-founded a popular blog and podcast. Her essays and reporting have been published in The New York Times; Vogue.com; New York Magazine’s The Cut; “O” The Oprah Magazine; The Atlantic; Slate; and The Huffington Post, among others. She received an MS from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and a BA from Sarah Lawrence College. She lives with her family in Cambridge, Massachusetts.