197: Getting stronger and fitter in midlife with Vijay Bassi Reed
Release Date: 03/03/2026
199: Working in an ageist world with Lucy Standing
Magnificent Midlife
Lucy Standing is the co-founder of Brave Starts, a not-for-profit supporting people in midlife and beyond to rethink work, purpose and what comes next. She’s the author of Age Against the Machine, a chartered psychologist with a background in recruitment and a passionate voice on ageism, work and the realities of longer working lives. Brave Starts supports more than 900 members navigating career change, redundancy, freelance and portfolio work or simply asking better questions about how they want to spend the years ahead. This is a fascinating conversation about working in an ageist world. ...
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198: Redefining the grandparent role with DeeDee Moore
Magnificent Midlife
I’m delighted to be introducing a brand-new topic to the podcast: modern grandparenting. It’s not a life stage I’m personally entering just yet - but as Magnificent Midlife continues to evolve, it’s one that feels increasingly important to talk about. My guest is Dee Dee Moore, founder of More Than Grand, an online hub dedicated to helping new grandparents make the very best of their role. Dee Dee brings a sharp understanding of family dynamics, communication and boundaries - and a refreshing honesty about how easy it is to get grandparenting wrong, even with the best intentions. ...
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197: Getting stronger and fitter in midlife with Vijay Bassi Reed
Magnificent Midlife
Vijay Bassi Reed is a former communications specialist who retrained in midlife as a personal trainer and nutrition coach. She is also a competitive HYROX and fitness racer. Her midlife transition emerged from burnout and hormonal change, leading to a deliberate reassessment of health, work and identity - and a stronger, more sustainable way of living. We talk about: -Vijay’s journey from senior corporate communications roles to midlife personal trainer and nutrition coach -How anxiety, burnout and perimenopause quietly derailed confidence (long before menopause was named) -Why so many...
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196: Fearless pivots with Susan Dabbar
Magnificent Midlife
Susan Dabbar is the founder and editor-in-chief of PROVOKEDmagazine – a bold, unapologetic digital magazine for women 50+, challenging and redefining how older women are seen, heard and represented. Susan’s career has been shaped by fearless pivots. She began as a naval architect designing nuclear submarines, went on to shape brand strategy at companies including Disney and Nestlé, played professional poker, worked as an international education consultant – and then, in her 60s, launched a media platform because she couldn’t find content that truly respected women’s...
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195: Navigating child loss with Lisa Boehm
Magnificent Midlife
I was deeply moved by my guest Lisa Boehm. Lisa’s life changed forever when her daughter, Katie, was killed in a car accident – an experience no parent should ever have to endure. In the years since, she’s found remarkable strength and purpose, transforming her grief into a force for healing and connection. This is probably the most difficult interview I’ve ever done. I hope you find it as powerful as I did. Lisa is a certified grief educator, author of Journey to Healing: A Mother’s Guide to Navigating Child Loss, and founder of the Angel Moms Community, where she supports...
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194 How women’s heart attacks differ from men’s with Caron Grossman
Magnificent Midlife
Caron Grossman is a registered nurse, breathwork facilitator, author and heart attack survivor. Her memoir, Listen to Your Heart Song: Navigating the Unexpected, weaves together her experiences of adolescent grief, addiction, recovery and a near-fatal heart attack, offering hope, honesty and practical insight for anyone navigating their own unexpected life events. We talk about: -How Caron’s heart attack actually began -Why the classic male symptoms of heart attack still dominate emergency call scripts and training -How many women are told they’re having an anxiety attack or...
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193 Navigating fibromyalgia at midlife with Tami Stackelhouse
Magnificent Midlife
Tami Stackelhouse is an award-winning author, founder of the International Fibromyalgia Coaching Institute and executive producer of the documentary Invisible. She’s dedicated to helping people with fibromyalgia reclaim control of their bodies and their lives, so they no longer feel trapped by pain, exhaustion or uncertainty. Fibromyalgia is so often misunderstood, minimised or brushed aside – and yet it affects many women in midlife. I’ve been wanting to explore this topic for ages and I’m delighted to finally do so with someone who brings both deep expertise and lived...
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192 How technology can revolutionise ageing with Keren Etkin
Magnificent Midlife
I’m delighted to welcome back Keren Etkin to the podcast! Keren is a gerontologist, entrepreneur, and author of The AgeTech Revolution – a fascinating book about the intersection of technology and ageing. I love that she describes herself as an AgeTech evangelist – it captures her passion perfectly. Keren is also the founder of The Gerontechnologist and The AgeTech Academy, both dedicated to helping us understand and shape the future of ageing through innovation. We talk about how technology is reshaping the way we age, the opportunities and challenges ahead, and what it all means for...
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191 Finding joy after grief with Alison Larkin
Magnificent Midlife
Alison Larkin is a bestselling author, comedian, producer, and narrator of over 250 audiobooks. Her acclaimed autobiographical novel The English American tells the story of an adopted English woman who finds her birth parents in America. She’s also the creator of the hit one-woman show Grief… a Comedy and author of the book of the same name. Rachel first saw Alison perform at London’s Soho Theatre and knew she’d be a perfect podcast guest. This conversation is funny, heartfelt, and full of insight about identity, creativity, and finding humour in life’s toughest...
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190 MENOPAUSE MATTERS: Dismantling menopause hype | Tania Elfersy
Magnificent Midlife
Want to rethink everything you thought you knew about menopause? I’m thrilled to welcome back Tania Elfersy, someone I really admire and a woman with a truly refreshing take on this stage of life. This is a conversation between two women who care deeply about the state of the menoverse today! I first came across Tania while writing my and was immediately struck by her wisdom and insight. The last time she joined me on the podcast, our conversation about menopause was very feisty – and this one is just as spirited. Tania brings such clarity, compassion and common sense to the...
info_outlineVijay Bassi Reed is a former communications specialist who retrained in midlife as a personal trainer and nutrition coach. She is also a competitive HYROX and fitness racer.
Her midlife transition emerged from burnout and hormonal change, leading to a deliberate reassessment of health, work and identity - and a stronger, more sustainable way of living.
We talk about:
-Vijay’s journey from senior corporate communications roles to midlife personal trainer and nutrition coach
-How anxiety, burnout and perimenopause quietly derailed confidence (long before menopause was named)
-Why so many women are offered antidepressants
-Menopause as an opportunity to reassess identity, values and how we want to live
-The role of structured movement in rebuilding trust in the body
-Discovering strength training, HIIT - and unexpectedly falling in love with running
-What HYROX is and why it’s resonating with women in their 40s, 50s and beyond
-Completing a first marathon in midlife
-Cultural attitudes to food, alcohol and achievement
-Why alcohol and menopause often don’t mix (and why opting out is allowed)
-Letting go of “shoulds” and lowering tolerance for bullsh*t in midlife
-Why starting before you feel “ready” matters more than perfect timing
And more.