Did you know that listening is what makes you the funniest? And that the craft of learning comedy helps with many life skills and that it supports confidence, connection and trust?!

My special guest joining me is Lynn Harris… a culture-shifting producer, award-winning journalist, and author/co-author of six books. Her comedy and campaigns for social justice and gender equity have changed laws and conversations from Capitol Hill to NASCAR.

She is the founder and CEO of GOLD Comedy—the comedy school, professional network, and content studio where women and non-binary creators grow their comedy careers, build powerful communities, and make funny stuff. And here's the amazing thing: the classes are mostly available online!

Also…Rachel Dratch is an advisor, and our guests + mentors have included Margaret Cho, Rachel Bloom, Patti Harrison, Paula Pell, Bridget Everett, Judy Gold, Ashley Nicole Black, Murray Hill, and staffers from The Daily Show, SNL, A Black Lady Sketch Show, Broad City, Search Party, Inside Amy Schumer, and more!

Harris also co-created Breakup Girl (acquired by Oxygen), one of the first multiplatform internet success stories, and co-hosted, with Ginna Green, The Forward's A Bintel Brief: The Podcast. Lynn served as the first VP of communications at global human rights group Breakthrough, where her blend of humor and advocacy powered some of the team's most effective U.S. campaigns. She has also worked as a Tonya Harding lookalike, which is a long story.

If you have ever been curious about what it would be like to do stand-up? Or just wanted to add more comedy to your life? This is a must listen!

Happy New Year!!

So, here we are at the beginning of January. You might be feeling excited if you are happy to say goodbye to 2025. It might feel daunting, whether for personal reasons, or more widespread concerns for all that is happening in our country and our world.

Before the holidays began, I read an article by Maria Shriver that included an exercise which resonated with me, and I thought it might for you, my Loving Later Life family. I found it to be a very helpful, different and fun way to get more in touch with what you want in the new year.

My mom and I also collaborated on a creative project together which I'm excited to share with you at the end of this episode, so be sure to listen until the end!

Happy New Year to you all, and let's get this new year started together!

I had planned to share one of my conversations with a special guest for this episode, but as I realized I didn't have all I needed from them to put it all together, my eyes landed on a book that I bought in 2018 on a trip to Kauai with my kids.

I heard it calling me to look at it again as it stood upright on my side table where it has been for seven years. It was in that moment I knew it had to be the inspiration and source for this episode.

The book is called, Lessons of a Turtle: (The Little Book of Life) and I share many of its special, simple, yet profound lessons along with my off the cuff commentary and a few personal anecdotes.

I also have an announcement to share so please listen, enjoy, and share with someone you know would like to hear it!

When thinking about what to talk about for this episode, it was a long thought train that came to a screeching halt when I heard someone say, "When will they learn their lesson!"

I'm sure most of you will remember hearing something along the lines of, "You're going to learn your lesson!"

But I'm not headed down the track you think I am. I'm veering off and taking a track in the other direction to say, "When are we going to UN learn our lessons?!

Please tune in and join me as I share the first 3 lessons that came to mind, in no particular order, which I believe are outdated and worthy of being unlearned!

Listen and learn to manage stress, grief, anxiety, worry, perfectionism, and separate fact from fiction!

Judith Belmont is my very special guest. Judy has 40 years of experience as a psychotherapist in private practice, mental health and corporate trainer, as well as a wellness conference speaker. She holds an MS in Clinical Psychology from Hahnemann Medical College and a BS in Psychology from University of Pennsylvania.

Judy is the author of 11 mental health and self-help books and two therapeutic card decks. All her books and card decks, as well as her keynotes and live and online trainings focus on offering "hands on" practical skills that promote mental/emotional wellness.

Offering quick exercises, visualizations, handouts, self-help quizzes, worksheets and self-care practices, she offers tools to help others overcome self-limiting beliefs and improve resiliency.

There will be something in this conversation that will resonate and be helpful in some way to anyone who listens!

This is an episode near and dear to my heart, and is one of the most listened to episodes of Loving Later Life.

It's Up To Us is my second spoken word poem and it shares feelings of distress, concern, hope and encourgement about our current state of affairs. I'm told that more people need to hear it, so this is it's encore broadcast.

The other reason that I am doing a replay is that my son is getting married two days before this drops to the very wonderful and talented Dylan Landau. For those of you who don't know, Dylan wrote a performs the theme song to Loving Later Life.

I hope you'll listen/listen again, and share/share again.

It's Up To Us!

Laurie Gerber is one of the most engaging and effective life coaches and presenters in the country.

After holding several positions at Handel Group® over the last 20 years, including President of HG Life, Laurie is currently licensing The Handel Method® and running Laurie Gerber Coaching, Inc. focusing on LOVE coaching.

Laurie has appeared on the Today Show, Dr, Phil, MTV and A & E and been the resident love expert at Match, Zoosk, Jdate, and many more.

She has been presenting to and coaching individuals, couples, and groups, with a wide range of partners including: the dating sites above, General Assembly, She Tribe, BeSocialChange, IvyConnect, Ellevate, and many more. She has appeared on television shows, podcasts, radio shows, and all over the internet. Check out "The Secret-Free Diet", her TedX talk on the power of truth telling.

When not working from her NYC townhouse, she's meditating, jogging, or attempting to get cuddles from her 10, 21 and 23-year old kids and husband of 27 years.

We had SOOO much fun, even though she called me out on my own beliefs! You must listen and you'll want to share it with others!

This week I am diverting again from regularly scheduled programming. Instead of sharing another inspiring conversation with one of my special guests (in two weeks it's another a super great one!), a thought came to me as it often does, when I least expect it and in the most unexpected places, which would be TMI! Anyhow, it is one that has to be done now at this time, and I'm in charge so I'm going to do it!

And that's all I'm going to say about it, because it's short and to the point, and if I were to write more here, you could have already listened to the episode!

See you there?!