Libsyn Directory

Glowing Older: Nancy Griffin On How To Redefine Longevity And Live Well At Any Age

Release Date: 10/15/2025

Is "New Year New You" The Wrong Approach? An Interview with Jennifer Walsh

StarrCast

What if the pressure to reinvent yourself every January is actually pulling you further away from who you already are? In this episode of StarrCast Podcast, host Lisa Starr sits down with Jennifer Walsh to explore why remembering your natural intelligence matters more than optimizing your life, your body, or your productivity. Together, they unpack how presence, ancestral wisdom, and human connection offer a more sustainable path to wellbeing in an increasingly artificial world. What You’ll Learn: Why the “new year, new you” mindset can create unnecessary guilt and burnout How...

From Farm to Five-Star Spa: Michael Madreiter on Building Puradies in the Austrian Alps

StarrCast

In this inspiring episode of The StarrCast Podcast, host Lisa Starr travels to the breathtaking Austrian Alps to explore how strategic wellness development is transforming mountain destinations. Against the dramatic backdrop of Leogang's limestone peaks, Lisa visits Puradies eco-resort and sits down with owner Michael Madreiter to discuss the property's stunning Heaven Spa expansion and the remarkable story of how this region has achieved consistent double-digit growth through thoughtful spa and wellness investment. Michael shares the 185-year family farming legacy that informs...

Darkness Retreats, Sensory Reduction, and the New Trend of Nervous System Recovery

StarrCast

What happens when darkness becomes the environment for insight, recovery, and self regulation? In this episode of the StarrCast Podcast, we explore the rise of structured darkness retreats and why they are gaining traction across wellness, hospitality, and performance focused audiences. Guests Ananda Jey (AJ) and Diederik van Middelkoop unpack how controlled sensory deprivation is being reinterpreted as a tool for nervous system regulation, psychological clarity, and long term wellbeing. Listeners will gain a grounded, experience driven understanding of why darkness retreats are moving...

Creating the Next Generation of Wellness Hotels

StarrCast

What happens when four of the most respected voices in global wellness hospitality gather in Milan to dissect the future of spa, hotel, and guest experience design? This episode brings together Matteo Brusaferri, Emlyn Brown, Lynn Curry, and Laszlo Puczko for a rare, insight-packed conversation recorded live at the Wellness Hospitality Conference. From evolving guest expectations to seismic shifts in design, investment, and operational strategy, this dialogue explores how wellness is redefining the fabric of hospitality worldwide. Listeners will walk away with a sharper understanding of the...

Inside The Rise of "Soft-Cold" Snow Rooms in Modern Wellness, with guest Sara Brenninger

StarrCast

What happens when one of the world’s leading snowmaking innovators brings winter indoors, and transforms wellness in the process? In this episode, I sit down with Sara Brenninger, the visionary shaping the future of indoor snow experiences at TechnoAlpin. We explore how engineered snow, biophilic design, and cold-contrast experiences are reshaping wellness architecture, guest rituals, and the business models behind next-generation spa environments. What You’ll Learn: How indoor snow technology evolved from slope-making to multisensory wellness environments Why soft-cold modalities are...

Live from The Global Wellness Summit in Dubai: Five Experts on The Future of Wellness and Spa Management

StarrCast

What happens when four global leaders in wellness, integrative health, and spa innovation come together to discuss the future of wellbeing? This week, The StarrCast is proud to bring you an amazing roundtable of experts, live from The Global Wellness Summit in Dubai: Dr. Kathryn Dundas is a leader in integrative health and clinical wellbeing, known for her evidence-based, assessment-driven approach to personalized care. Kirsty MacCormick is a global spa and wellness strategist recognized for building operational systems, signature experiences, and high-performing teams across luxury...

How Emotional Intelligence and Personalization Are Creating Human-Centered Hospitality, with Magdy Abdelaty

StarrCast

What happens when luxury hospitality, holistic wellness, and human transformation intersect? In this conversation with Magdy Abdelaty, we explore how modern wellness leaders are redefining the guest journey through emotional intelligence, culture-driven design, and deeply personalized experiences. This episode reveals why wellness is shifting from a service to a philosophy, and what the next generation of spa and wellness leadership must embrace to stay relevant, regenerative, and meaningful. What You’ll Learn: Why wellness no longer belongs in a silo, and how to embed it across the entire...

How Four Seasons Costa Rica is Designing the Future of Spa, with Arnaud Dieutegard

StarrCast

Can a spa director also be a systems thinker, a creative artist, and a human performance strategist? In this episode, Arnaud Dieutegard, Senior Director of Wellness, Spa & Retail at Four Seasons Costa Rica, shares how he’s reimagining resort wellness, from creative leadership and culturally rooted experiences to peak performance programs grounded in science. Listeners will hear how one property is using data, design, and disciplined creativity to move beyond “amenities” and build a truly transformational wellness ecosystem for guests. Arnaud traces his journey from a wellness-focused...

How Chiva-Som Is Redefining Evidence-Based Wellness, with Dr. Jason Culp

StarrCast

What happens when science meets soulful healing? In this episode of the Starrcast Podcast, Dr. Jason Culp, Director of Research & Development at Chiva-Som International Health Resort, reveals how integrative wellness is evolving beyond luxury into a global movement rooted in evidence, empathy, and everyday choices. From Thailand’s pioneering Chiva-Som to the rise of holistic health leadership, this conversation redefines what it means to live well, and lead well, in a world driven by change. What You’ll Learn: How naturopathic medicine bridges the gap between science and...

Adam Tanaka on Wellness As Part of Civic Infrastructure

StarrCast

What if wellness could be scaled like culture? In this episode of Starrcast, host Lisa Starr sits down with Adam Bamba-Tanaka, Chief Operating Officer of Therme Group U.S., to explore how the global company is redefining bathing culture for the 21st century. From Bucharest to Dallas, Tanaka unpacks the intersection of urban design, sustainability, and social wellness, revealing how Therme is creating civic-scale wellness destinations that merge architecture, technology, and community. What You’ll Learn: How Therme Group is transforming ancient bathing rituals into modern wellness...

More Episodes

What if aging could be redefined, not as decline, but as evolution?

In this episode, Nancy Griffin, founder of Glowing Older, joins host Lisa Starr to explore the emerging longevity movement and what it really means to age with vitality, purpose, and community. From wellness innovation to anti-ageism in the spa industry, Nancy shares how we can transform aging into an empowering, joyful stage of life, one grounded in self-care, connection, and balance.

What You’ll Learn:

How the wellness industry can reclaim its original mission: nurturing mind, body, and spirit, not just beauty.
What “aging in place” truly means, and why it’s more about community and connection than just staying home.
The global longevity shift and what the Agetech revolution means for independence and healthspan.
How to dismantle ageism and redesign wellness spaces for inclusivity across generations.
Why joy, purpose, and mindset are the real longevity “biohacks.”

Episode Highlights:

00:00 – Why “Glowing Older” became a movement, not just a podcast
06:45 – How COVID sparked global conversations about longevity
13:10 – Rethinking aging in place and building communities that connect
20:35 – How loneliness impacts longevity as much as smoking
28:50 – Ageism in wellness: why “anti-aging” needs to go
36:15 – Agetech innovations reshaping independence and safety
43:20 – The spa industry’s role in the new longevity economy
48:35 – Finding joy, balance, and purpose as the ultimate longevity tools

Meet the Guest:

Nancy Griffin is the founder of Glowing Older, a pioneering podcast and platform at the intersection of aging, wellness, and community. A Cornell graduate and longtime wellness industry strategist, Nancy’s mission is to educate and inspire both professionals and consumers on redefining aging, with optimism, purpose, and humanity.

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned:

Agetech Collaborative (AARP) – advancing technology that empowers aging independence.
WHO Anti-Ageism Framework – addressing internal bias, policy, and intergenerational connection.
Blue Zones & Ikigai Philosophy – longevity lessons from purpose-driven living.
Joy Span Framework (Dr. Carrie Burnight) – measuring how much joy you create daily.

Closing Insight:

“Aging is inevitable, decline is optional.” – Nancy Griffin

Nancy reminds us that longevity isn’t about adding years to life, it’s about adding life to years. With balanced habits, lifelong curiosity, and a little joy every day, we can all redefine what it means to age well.

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Live Training: wynnebusiness.com/live-education

Online Learning: wynnebusiness.com/spa-management-courses

What You’ll Learn:

Episode Highlights:

Meet the Guest:

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned:

Closing Insight:

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