“Gender was to the 20th century what age will be to the 21st: a massive demographic and societal shift that changes… everything.” – Avivah Wittenberg-Cox

In this episode, international thought leader, author, speaker, corporate consultant, and life coach Avivah Wittenberg-Cox reveals the importance of “rebranding” aging: How demographic shifts, the rise of older adults, and an aging workforce have brought us to this unprecedented time in history. In conversation with, Melinda Blau, Avivah proposes a “four-quarter life” framework to help us rethink ageist assumptions. She details the task of each approximately 25 years: growing (Q1), achieving (Q2), becoming (Q3), and harvesting (Q4). As we navigate these territories and encounter new terrain, each of us must become a “skilled transitionist,” which involves using our brains, seeking love and connection in all forms, weathering change, and learning how to make good choices. An advocate of lifelong learning and intergenerational support, Avivah attended Harvard’s Advanced Leadership Initiative (ALI) to spur her own Q3 journey and has since investigated a range of midlife transition programs. Here she tells how they broaden our horizons and can help us transition into new chapters.

For more:

Read Avivah’s Elderberries newsletter on Substack, learn more about Avivah’s history and innovative projects on her website, and listen to her “4-Quarter Lives Podcast here.

Interested in the midlife educational programs Avivah talks about in this episode? Check out Series (Season) 10 of her podcast, beginning on September 24, 2025 with an exploration of Harvard’s ALI program.

And here’s a sampling of Avivah’s writing on lifelong learning:

“Higher Ed Meets Longevity: The Global Rise Of Midlife Education: Feeling Like Learning Something New?” Elderberries, January 26, 2026

“Old School: Midlife Transition Programs Take Off,” Forbes, September 28, 2022·

For more on Melinda Blau’s work, Avivah interviews her in “Learning From Our Elders,” on Season 9 of her 4-Quarter Lives podcast, June 18, 2025.

The book that inspired Avivah to call Melinda her "old lady” is on Amazon or wherever you buy books: The Wisdom Whisperers: Golden Guides to a Long Life of Grit, Grace, and Laughter.

The Crows Feet original theme music was composed and performed by Rand Bishop.

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See if your New Year resolutions and reflections are in sync with your friends at Crows Feet in this special bonus episode. And with it, our best wishes for brighter days and new adventures ahead.

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“Part of what I found were cultural norms that view the second half of life as being as important and even more important than the first half of life, in terms of what you can do for yourself and for society,“ said Ken Stern, in conversation with host Jane Trombley.

Ken, author of Healthy to 100: How Strong Ties Lead to Long Lives (link in notes, below) explored the “culture of longevity” in Asia — Singapore, Korea, and Japan — as well as communities in Spain and Italy.

An expression of those cultural norms, he noted, was found in Singapore, where “they view social connection and social health as being critical parts of public health,” with an emphasis on multigenerational housing predicated on the importance of family ties.

In Korea, he explored the cultural importance of lifelong learning, codified in the national constitution in 1990. In Japan, Ken found the creation of “ essentially a second work culture for older workers that's much less about prestige, and more about finding work that brings you into contact with other people.”

Ken is a gifted storyteller, bringing each region to life in the context of what contributes to healthy and engaged aging — social connections built around housing, employment, lifelong learning, and a rich community life.

Links:

Ken’s most recent book:

Healthy to 100: How Strong Social Ties Lead to Long Lives

“I’m 62. Stop Telling Me I’m Old” by Ken Stern

New York Times, Opinion Nov. 27, 2025

The Longevity Project

Ken Stern, Founder and Chair

Stanford Center on Longevity

Stanford University

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