Introducing Long Life Learning Season 2
Long Life Learning
Long Life Learning is back! Join us every Monday this May and June to hear Kavitha Bindra, Executive Director of the Yale School of Management Executive Education, speak with accomplished executives and thought leaders to discuss living with inspiration and vitality. Season 2 centers around leveraging dynamic leadership for global impact, inspired by the voices that come out of the Yale Global Executive Leadership Program (YGELP).
info_outline
Jo Ann Jenkins on Social Change and Lifelong Mentorship at AARP
Long Life Learning
The final episode of season 1 features Jo Ann Jenkins, visionary CEO of AARP for the past 10 years. Jo Ann has revolutionized the mission of this “nonprofit, nonpartisan, social change organization” to help Americans embrace life after 50 as a vibrant time of transformation and connection. Jo Ann joins Kavitha to talk career pivots, lifelong mentorship, and legacy-making whose benefits extend to people of all ages. She invites us to consider the needs of an ever-evolving present day: one in which the fastest-growing age group in the U.S. is Americans 85 and up, and in which today’s...
info_outline
Bonnie Wan on Being a Misfit, a Vandal, and a Wise Beginner
Long Life Learning
This week, CSO, leadership coach, and author Bonnie Wan shares with Kavitha a moment of crisis that changed her life. Back in 2010, Bonnie found herself devoted to work and saying “yes” to everyone but her husband, her children, and herself. Out of a feverish night of writing, the Life Brief was born: an approach to self-examination, a lifestyle, and, most recently, the title of Bonnie’s bestselling 2024 book. Join this week’s conversation to hear how Bonnie’s rise as a strategist led to her being named CSO of the Year, how she strives to “make the room smarter,” and what...
info_outline
Stephanie Dunson on Writing Your Way to Collaborative Discovery
Long Life Learning
If you’ve ever caught yourself about to correct a spelling mistake on a grocery list, this week's guest has advice for you: Stop! And reflect: Why? Yale School of Management Lecturer and reflective writing practitioner Stephanie Dunson joins Kavitha in the studio for a discussion about how the power of process writing moves us from inward reflection to outward, purposeful action. Stephanie encourages her students—of all ages—to let go of everything they’ve been taught about “right and wrong” in writing and embrace the metacognitive journey of pursuing uncertainty: What’s...
info_outline
Michael Swiatek on Why This Is the Golden Age of Accessibility and Life
Long Life Learning
This week’s guest, Michael Swiatek, is a longtime airline executive and strategist. He also identifies as a blind, low vision individual, and is pioneering new ways to make flying accessible and comfortable to all travelers. Mike joins Kavitha to explain how he went from despising the airline industry to embracing it as a vocation, and why he’s excited, at age 61, to boldly step into a dual role as Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Accessibility Officer for Abra Group. Listen to take part in discussions of Mike’s incredible international experiences, what he’s seen change in the...
info_outline
Joanna Lohman on Why She’s Refiring, Not Retiring
Long Life Learning
This week, Kavitha is joined by legendary pro-soccer player-turned keynote speaker and human rights activist Joanna Lohman. Together they discuss why Joanna says that she has “refired” rather than retired from professional sports, and why, as a Yale ELI Advisory Board member and upcoming cohort participant, she would encourage other ELI Fellows to do the same. Join us to learn about Joanna’s journey from a celebrated career with the Washington Spirit and the U.S. National Women’s soccer team to her “second act” pivot into her current roles as a performance coach, sport...
info_outline
Marc Freedman on Seeking Curiosity and Purpose in Midlife Transitions
Long Life Learning
In our first-ever episode of Long Life Learning, host Kavitha Bindra (Executive Director, Yale SOM Executive Education) is joined by Marc Freedman, Founder and Co-CEO of CoGenerate. Marc is dedicated to championing intergenerational projects for the greater good, and will serve as Faculty Director for the forthcoming Experienced Leaders Initiative (ELI) provided by Executive Education at the Yale School of Management. Together, Marc and Kavitha lay the groundwork for a dynamic first season, untangling myths around aging and celebrating the joy of embracing the second half of life. Join...
info_outline
Welcome to Long Life Learning!
Long Life Learning
Long Life Learning host Kavitha Bindra introduces the premise of Season 1: how to center purpose and meaning in the context of midlife transitions. Just like participants in Yale SOM Executive Education's forthcoming Experienced Leaders Initiative, guests on the show are embracing their personal and professional milestones with dynamic leadership and tenacity! Featured voices include upcoming guests Marc Freedman, Joanna Lohman, and Michael Swiatek.
info_outlineThis week, Kavitha is joined by legendary pro-soccer player-turned keynote speaker and human rights activist Joanna Lohman. Together they discuss why Joanna says that she has “refired” rather than retired from professional sports, and why, as a Yale ELI Advisory Board member and upcoming cohort participant, she would encourage other ELI Fellows to do the same.
Join us to learn about Joanna’s journey from a celebrated career with the Washington Spirit and the U.S. National Women’s soccer team to her “second act” pivot into her current roles as a performance coach, sport diplomat, and author. In addition, Joanna shares why it takes a risk-embracing mindset to enact change, what it means to embrace transformation as a “human superpower,” and how she has embraced her identity as a lesbian athlete and public persona to serve as a courageous role model to others.
Transcript
Episode 2—Joanna Lohman Transcript
Links and Resources
Information on ELI and Yale SOM Executive Education:
Resources Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
- Finding Mastery Podcast with Dr. Michael Gervais, who recently released episode 466: “How to Thrive in a Distracted World” featuring ELI instructor Emma Seppälä
- Atomic Habits, James Clear’s 2018 book on refining your focus and forming better habits
- Nelson Mandela speaking at the 2000 Laureus World Sports Awards, when he uttered the famous line, “Sport has the power to change the world.”
More Featuring Joanna:
- Raising Tomorrow’s Champions, Joanna’s 2021 book
- “Ignite the Human Behind High Performance,” Joanna’s keynote speech from July 2024
- “The Uncomfortable Ride to the Top,” Joanna’s talk at TEDxBeacon Street
- Joanna, her wife Melodie, and their daughter Luna featured on the news for Pride Month in June 2023
About Today’s Guest
Joanna Lohman - Global Keynote Speaker, Authenticity Activator, Performance Igniter
Joanna Lohman is a global keynote speaker, former pro soccer player, and performance coach who excels at unlocking human potential and authentic excellence. A member of the U.S. Women's National Team and Washington Spirit's first jersey retiree, Joanna has a rich background in leadership and social impact. She authored "Raising Tomorrow's Champions" and serves as a human rights activist and Sport Diplomat with the U.S. Department of State, using sports to address critical global issues.
With 20 years of experience applying elite sports lessons to business, Joanna helps organizations excel through transformational leadership and resilience. She has worked with top companies like Qualcomm and the Minnesota Vikings and has appeared on CNN and Sirius XM.
A Silver Spring native and Penn State standout, Joanna is a Springbrook High School and Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame inductee. Known for her blonde mohawk and authentic leadership, she is also a wife to Melodie, a parent to Luna, and a dog mom to Dewey.