Episodes 33
Avg. Duration 14m
Activity Active
Since Oct 2022
Latest Episode Jan 2026

Publishing Details

Schedule
Monthly
Format
Episodic
Consistency
78%
Hosting
www.ijpr.org

Contact & Outreach

About This Podcast

With career changes and second or even third acts becoming more common, My Better Half shines a light on midlife or late-life reinventions and how people are thriving in the second half of their lives. Listen to explore the creative potential of our later years.

Explore Statistics

Recent Episodes

Why the fitness industry may be missing the point of health

Jan 30, 2026 30m

Author Dave Young in his book, "A Mild Case of Dread," explores the mental and physical toll being exacted on Americans who stress and obsess over health and fitness training. (<a…

'Aging While Black' amplifies experiences of elderly Black Americans

Dec 19, 2025 14m

Portrait of Raymond Jetson and Kali Graves at the Baton Rouge IBM lobby.(Tim Mueller Photography / TM)Raymond Jetson is an advocate whose work centers on equity, dignity and community-driven change.…

Managing loss with creativity

Nov 26, 2025 14m

At 59, Julie Anderson Bailey has survived midlife's tough transitions: divorce, the death of a partner and parents, and an empty nest. Art has been there through it all.Learn More: SOPBS The Work of…

Lifelong artist returns to first love

Oct 17, 2025 15m

Pam Haunschild in her studio.Pam Haunschild rose to the top of her profession, teaching organizational theory at the business schools at Stanford and Texas-Austin. It's a long way off from her…

Menopause The Musical 2 sails into Medford Oct 11

Sep 26, 2025 15m

(Image courtesy of <a href="https://menopausethemusical.com/" target="_blank"…

From advertising executive to healthcare activist: A "reckoning of the soul"

Jun 20, 2025 14m

My Better Half host Vanessa Finney visits with Kate Grant, who was in her 40s when she joined a movement to end obstetric fistula - a devastating childbirth complication that often adds insult to…

Woman of tenacity applies herself to flying planes, then perfecting sourdough

Jun 13, 2025 36m

As a high schooler in Japan in 1994, Miwa Aoki Russell ditched class one day and took a two-hour bus ride to meet the first female pilot in Japan. She was hoping for guidance in her chosen career…

Vanessa Finney's essay on older residents thriving published by Oregon Humanities magazine

Jun 06, 2025 14m

In honor of Oregon Humanities magazine publishing Vanessa Finney's essay on Oregon's thriving older residents, we replay this episode of My Better Half with host Vanessa Finney talking with…

'Encore: A High Achiever's Guide to Thriving in Retirement'

Apr 18, 2025 14m

Retirement Transition Expert Elizabeth Zelinka Parsons talks about her new book, “Encore: A High Achiever’s Guide to Thriving in Retirement" with My Better Half host Vanessa Finney.

Debra Whitman on age-friendly cities in Oregon

Mar 07, 2025 14m

When Deb Whitman and her husband Glenn exchanged vows in 1999, they promised to love each other until they were 103. To some, the optimism sounded like a joke. But as an expert on aging, Deb knew the…

Renee Montagne steps away from the mic and into the unknown

Feb 07, 2025 14m

"Morning Edition", hosts Steve Inskeep and Renee Montagne. (Stephen Voss/Stephen Voss)Renee Montagne began freelancing for NPR in the 1980s, eventually co-hosting All Things Considered and…

Managing Loss With Creativity

Jan 31, 2025 14m

At 59, Julie Anderson Bailey has survived midlife's tough transitions: divorce, the death of a partner and parents, and an empty nest. Art has been there through it all.Learn More: SOPBS The Work of…

Love after 50

Oct 24, 2024 14m

My Better Half host Vanessa Finney explores the intricacies of relationships among the population of seasoned citizens with Francine Russo, author of Love After 50: How to find it, enjoy it, keep it.…

Step. Think. Repeat. An 80-year-old woman's 800-mile-long project

Sep 27, 2024 14m

Diana Coogle takes a hike(Diana Coogle / Diana Coogle)Longtime listeners of Jefferson Public Radio might be familiar with the voice of Diana Coogle. Starting in the 1980s, she aired commentaries…

Ninety-three year-old sprinter from Ashland encourages everyone to get out and move

Aug 02, 2024 14m

Roy Sutton and fellow medalist at the 2023 National Senior GamesEver wonder why local papers don't cover senior games like they cover high school and college sports? Ashland sprinter Roy Sutton has…

Doctor, doctor, give me the grapes

Jul 12, 2024 14m

Dr. Peter Adesman was well along in his medical career when he decided to do something else. Not instead of doctoring, but in addition to it. So he planted grapevines on his property, and thus was…

Picking up barbells (many times) in middle age

Jun 16, 2024 14m

Cathleen Calkins was always fairly athletic, but she was in her late fifties before she got into competitive weightlifting. She liked it and did it well, eventually working her way up to a state…

My Better Half: Founder of the Betty Kwan Chinn Homeless Foundation

May 17, 2024 14m

For decades, Humboldt County humanitarian Betty Kwan Chinn has helped community members suffering from homelessness, and mental health and substance abuse issues. She's the founder and director of…

How a fashion-conscious woman landed a modeling contract in her 60s

Mar 29, 2024 28m

She wasn't a model, but she looked like one. Ten years ago, Lyn Slater was mistaken for a famous model. She was already into fashion, and the incident led to a persona as The Accidental Icon, Lyn's…

Wellness for the member of the family that can't say the term (woof!)

Feb 23, 2024 14m

If you don't like artificial ingredients in your food, why would your pet? That's the basic thinking behind Wellness Pet Supplies in Ashland, which goes well beyond food, to toys and supplies and…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does My Better Half have?

My Better Half has published 33 episodes since October 2022, covering topics in Business, Careers.

Is My Better Half still active?

My Better Half is currently active with new episodes monthly. Average episode length is 14m.

How do I contact My Better Half for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for My Better Half, including email and social media links.

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