Latest 55+ Podcast Episodes
37: University of Iowa Device Advice Leaders Evita Woolsey + Ken Brown
Untrained Wisdom - June 08, 2021 11:00 - 45 minutesDevice Advice is an organization at the University of Iowa in which college students teach senior citizens in the community about technology while making meaningful connections. In this interview, organization president Evita Woolsey and faculty adviser Ken Brown share their thoughts about why t...
36: Iowa Aging-in-Place Nonprofit Co-Founder Susan Shullaw
Untrained Wisdom - June 01, 2021 11:00 - 33 minutesDriven by a desire to have a transitional living option that positions itself between completely independent living and assisted living, Susan Shullaw and a group of friends co-founded TRAIL of Johnson County. As Iowa's first aging-in-place organization TRAIL modeled itself after the Village to ...
35: Grandfather's Health Journey Chronicler Devin Perreault
Untrained Wisdom - May 25, 2021 11:00 - 43 minutesDevin Perreault, a personal trainer in Boulder, Colo., was a teenager when he was encouraged by his grandfather, Ernie, to start strength training. That love of lifting came around full circle when Devin started training his grandfather at the age of 95. Ernie had just come home from the hospita...
34: Ola Possible Creators Jami Morton & Mary Olson
Untrained Wisdom - May 18, 2021 11:00 - 25 minutesJami Morton and Mary Olson live in the same neighborhood in Washington state. But their friendship began with sharing a love of music through jam sessions with other neighbors and eventually morphed into one-on-one conversations about what life has to offer – specifically for perennial women lik...
33: Mental Health Advocate + Caregiver Daughter Keyanna Blass
Untrained Wisdom - May 11, 2021 11:00 - 35 minutesKeyanna Blass' dad was in and out of her life growing up. A veteran in his 70s, Joseph Blass has struggled with drug addiction, schizophrenia, dementia, and homelessness. However, throughout the years, he has created unique and imaginative pieces of art. In this interview, Keyanna reflects on ...
32: Dallas-Based COVID Vaccine Resource Leader Renae Perry
Untrained Wisdom - May 04, 2021 11:00 - 27 minutesRenae Perry is the chief operating officer at The Senior Source, a nonprofit organization serving older adults and family caregivers in the greater Dallas area for nearly 60 years. Since the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Texas, Renae and her team have been instrumental in ensuring older adults sta...
Season 4 Preview
Untrained Wisdom - April 29, 2021 22:00 - 6 minutesIn Season 4, I have eight episodes of guests whose experiences have shaped their narratives and aim to challenge our own beliefs of what’s possible. Four of my guests are from my home state of Iowa. The others are from Texas, Arizona, Washington state, Colorado, and England. This preview episod...
BONUS: Introduction to Podcast Listening
Untrained Wisdom - April 06, 2021 11:00 - 30 minutesIn late February 2021, host Shuva Rahim presented a webinar to a group of senior citizens that focused on introducing learners about how to listen to podcasts. This bonus episode is an edited version of that class, which was made possible through TRAIL of Johnson County and the Iowa City Senior ...
31: Birds of Prey Facilitator for War Vets Patrick Bradley
Untrained Wisdom - March 02, 2021 12:00 - 53 minutesPatrick Bradley learned a lot about Bald eagles in the most unexpected way imaginable: spending three years in the Canadian wilderness after returning home from the Vietnam War. The isolated experience up north helped him recover from what is more commonly known today as Post-Traumatic Stress Di...
30: Equine-Inspired Leadership + Life Coach Cheri Villa
Untrained Wisdom - February 22, 2021 05:00 - 43 minutesCheri Villa's affinity for horses stemmed from toys, books, and TV shows she was a youngster – not from being around the majestic creatures like many kids. So, years later, when she articulated her desire to have a horse – something that didn't make conventional sense since she never grew up lea...
29: Therapy Llama Trainer Niki Kuklenski
Untrained Wisdom - February 16, 2021 12:00 - 27 minutesNiki Kuklenski of Washington state has been involved with llamas since she was a youngster. After graduating from college, she went on to train the top show llama of all time. Following his success, Eagle became registered for therapy work with Pet Partners, a national organization that register...
28: Arizona Pet Project Executive Director Leanna Taylor
Untrained Wisdom - February 09, 2021 12:00 - 33 minutesThe Arizona Pet Project is a nonprofit headquartered in Phoenix that focuses on building safer, healthier communities for people and their pets. In this interview, Executive Director Leanna Taylor talks about the work the organization does for people who may be struggling to care for their pets ...
27: Unicorn Jazz Chief Fun Officer Dr. Chris Herzig
Untrained Wisdom - February 02, 2021 12:00 - 32 minutesDr. Chris Herzig is a full-time radiologist in southern California who – in partnership with his wife, Lisa – produces fun learning tools for young school-aged students. His work with Unicorn Jazz, an educational children's community brand that includes books and an Amazon TV show, allows Chris ...
26: "Harley's Great Adventure" Author Kim Findlay
Untrained Wisdom - January 26, 2021 12:00 - 34 minutesOnly one week after she retired as the CEO and president of a science museum in Iowa, Kim Findlay and her husband left their home to explore the western U.S. in their RV. With them was their 10-year-old Golden Retriever, Harley, who the couple adopted when he was 8 weeks old. In the months to fo...
25: Mountain Pony Rider Vivien Fallows
Untrained Wisdom - January 19, 2021 12:00 - 29 minutesVivien Fallows of West Sussex, England took horse riding lessons as a child. That experience, though, was not pivotal to her upbringing. She stopped her lessons, grew up, raised a family, had a career, and pursued other interests - including writing a memoir called Travels with George: Diary of ...
Season 3 Preview – Animal Stories
Untrained Wisdom - January 12, 2021 12:00 - 5 minutesWelcome to Season 3 of Untrained Wisdom, a podcast featuring people 55+ who are currently redefining the paradigm with amazing and inspiring endeavors, and industry professionals whose expertise improves the lives of seasoned generations. An additional common denominator of all the Season 3 gues...
Untrained Wisdom on Pinterest
Untrained Wisdom - January 05, 2021 12:00 - 8 minutesIf you're someone who searches the web to locate a specific episode for a link in the Show Notes, there's now an easier stopping place to turn to: the Untrained Wisdom Pinterest page. In this short episode, host Shuva Rahim explains some of the different Pinterest boards on the Untrained Wisdom...
Bonus: Good News in 2020
Untrained Wisdom - December 29, 2020 12:00 - 11 minutesIn what's been a difficult year for many, a few guests from Season 1 and Season 2 share some positive moments from their 2020 after an introductory statement from host Shuva Rahim. In this episode you'll hear from: Nia Instructor Beth Pelton, Ep. 1 Parent Caregiver & Author Diane Koster, Ep....
24: Organizing Business Partners Cathy Borg & Brad Borg
Untrained Wisdom - December 01, 2020 12:00 - 37 minutesUnlike a lot of family businesses, Brad Borg and Cathy Borg began working together only a few years ago. The close relationship between the brother and sister exudes a level of trust that puts the clients of their Toronto-based business, In and Out Organizing, at ease. In this interview, the si...
23: Geriatric Physical Therapist Dr. Serena Liu
Untrained Wisdom - November 24, 2020 12:00 - 28 minutesDr. Serena Liu is a physical therapist who specializes in helping the geriatric population. In addition to working at the Smith Ranch Skilled Nursing Facility in San Rafael, California, she is creator of the @resilientaging Instagram account - an exploration of how to best help older adults navi...
22: "Women Going For It!" Author Diana Coleman
Untrained Wisdom - November 17, 2020 12:00 - 32 minutesDiana Coleman is the author of Women Going For it! Taking Risks After 50. Describing herself as a risk-taking motivator, the Maine-based writer chronicled the stories of 26 women in their 50s through 80s that celebrate their resilience and stamina in taking personal risks. In this interview, D...
21: Liver Transplant Recipient & OneLegacy/Donate Life Ambassador Peggy Averitt
Untrained Wisdom - November 10, 2020 12:00 - 40 minutesPeggy Averitt is a grateful liver transplant recipient in Orange County, California who has raised awareness for organ and tissue donation as a OneLegacy/Donate Life Ambassador. With her second chance at life, much of this nurse's volunteer time goes toward sharing her story to audiences so they...
20: Solo Travel Advocate Leyla Alyanak
Untrained Wisdom - November 03, 2020 12:00 - 38 minutesLeyla Alyanak is a journalist and former foreign correspondent from France who, at 43, made a major decision to reinvent herself and travel the world for solo for six months. That trip ended up lasting four years – before cell phones, apps, and Google. During that time, she had numerous adventur...
19: New U.S. Residents Salehuddin & Nahar Ahmed
Untrained Wisdom - October 27, 2020 11:00 - 30 minutesSalehuddin and Nahar Ahmed were accustomed to living in different parts of the world for work and education. But they always returned to their home in Bangladesh. It wasn't until their two daughters moved to the Dallas, Texas-area that moving permanently to the U.S. became a consideration. In 20...
18: Virtual Reality Expert Carleigh Berryman
Untrained Wisdom - October 20, 2020 11:00 - 43 minutesAfter Carleigh Berryman learned her grandmother wasn't as upbeat about life as she used to be, the young woman came up with an innovative idea that would help not only her aging loved one but catalyze a change in the mental health of many senior citizens. Through the 2019 founding of her Washing...
17: Poet Mary F. Lenox
Untrained Wisdom - October 13, 2020 11:00 - 41 minutesTo say Mary F. Lenox has a way with words is an understatement. A retired university dean, the San Diego, California-based poet draws inspiration from her natural surroundings and regular walks. Several years ago, her observations about the physical world, intertwined with her own evolution as a...
16: 100Grannies.Org Co-Founder Ann Christenson
Untrained Wisdom - October 06, 2020 11:00 - 31 minutesAnn Christenson observed the impacts of climate change early in her adult life. Her interest in raising awareness about the environment compelled her to participate in protests throughout the last decade in Washington, D.C. – one which resulted in a 2011 arrest while opposing the Keystone XL Pip...
16: Climate Action Organization Co-Founder Ann Christenson
Untrained Wisdom - October 06, 2020 11:00 - 31 minutesAnn Christenson observed the impacts of climate change early in her adult life. Her interest in raising awareness about the environment compelled her to participate in protests throughout the last decade in Washington, D.C. – one which resulted in a 2011 arrest while opposing the Keystone XL Pip...
15: Children's Author & Illustrator Deepa Balsavar
Untrained Wisdom - September 29, 2020 11:00 - 41 minutesFor more than 30 years, Deepa Balsavar of Mumbai, India, has been developing curricular materials and collaborating with experts to create educational resources. A few of her works led to an opportunity to write and illustrate children's books beginning in 2005. Since then, Deepa has flourishe...
14: Card Writer to Senior Home Residents Deborah Widger
Untrained Wisdom - September 22, 2020 11:00 - 23 minutesShortly after the coronavirus pandemic led New York residents to be in quarantine in March 2020, Deborah Widger realized the most vulnerable population would be socially overlooked. So she reached out to assisted living facilities in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and sent out batches o...
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