“From accessory to center stage”: Mark Cushing, founder of the Animal Policy Group and author of “Pet Nation”, on the emotional, physical, and societal benefits of the human-animal bond at midlife and beyond. Pet Nation: The Inside Story of How Companion Animals Are Transforming Our Homes, Culture, and EconomyAnimal Policy GroupFrom Sandy Hook to the World by Scarlett Lewis, founder of Jesse Lewis Choose Love MovementNew in November from the Grown Ass Lady Squad: Are Women’s Lives Just Someone Else’s Business Model? How I quit the diet cycle and refocused on what really matters in lifeThe Secret to a Happy Life? Friendship!DameMagazine.comModern GenX Woman PodcastHere’s proof that GenX DOES have pets! Thumbs up. Thanks as always to M. The Heir Apparent, who provides the music behind the podcast – check him out here! ***This is a rough transcription of Episode 109 of the Midlife Mixtape Podcast. It originally aired on November 16, 2021. Transcripts are created using a combination of speech recognition software and human transcribers, and there may be errors in this transcription, but we hope that it provides helpful insight into the conversation. If you have any questions or need clarification, please email dj@midlifemixtape.com *** Mark Cushing 00:00 I don’t think there’s a time in your life that the companionship of a pet – by the way, it isn’t limited to dogs or cats – can’t make you feel better. Nancy Davis Kho 00:11 Welcome to Midlife Mixtape, The Podcast. I’m Nancy Davis Kho and we’re here to talk about the years between being hip and breaking one. [THEME MUSIC – “Be Free” by M. The Heir Apparent] Nancy 00:35 The presenting sponsor of today’s episode is Kindra. Kindra is a health and wellness company that is revolutionizing menopause, backed by science and made by women, for women. Their products help women navigate the most disruptive signs of the change, like hot flashes, brain fog, restless sleep, dryness, and more. At their website, OURKINDRA.com, you can figure out exactly which of their products might be in order by taking their 5 minute online quiz, or simply clicking one of the following statements: I’m Dry, I’m Hot, I’m Tired, I Can’t Sleep, and everybody’s favorite – It’s Complicated. Oh honey. Isn’t it just. The change comes for all of us ladies, so isn’t it time we started talking about menopause instead of pretending it’s something that only happens to other people? You can head to ourkindra.com. That’s OURKINDRA.com and use code MIXTAPE20 all caps to get 20% off your first order or subscription. That’s ourkindra.com and MIXTAPE20 to get 20% off! [MUSIC] Hi everyone and welcome to Episode 109 of the Midlife Mixtape Podcast! I’m Nancy Davis Kho, and I’ve been running the show around here since 2017. That feels like a long time ago. Now one of the things I love about this podcast is that – and I’m paraphrasing Vanilla Ice here obviously – if there’s a topic, yo I’ll solve it, check out my guest while the DJ revolves it. In other words, I was kind of curious about why every single person I see on the street is at the end of a dog leash, or has a cockatiel sitting on her shoulder, or is carrying a cat carrier. And I also sensed that adopting our rescue dog, Arlo, last summer was a good thing, net positive for my husband and me to do in midlife. So, thanks to having a podcast, I was able to find someone who can answer questions like that, and that’s the conversation I’m bringing to your ears today. Now, if you are one of the 30% of Americans who don’t have pets – and sorry international listeners, I don’t know what the stats are internationally, but either way this holds for you. Don’t turn this off just because you don’t have a pet. One of the most interesting things I learned in this interview is how even NON-pet owners benefit when the people around them are pet-owners. So I hope you’ll stay tuned, and if you’re one of the many listeners who has sent in pictures of your pets in the past couple of weeks, first of all thank you, because that was a highlight of my day every day. Second, listen all the way to the end of the interview to hear why I wanted that collection, and I’ll tell you where to find it. Today’s guest is Mark Cushing, Founder & CEO of the Animal Policy Group, and author of the brand-new book Pet Nation, a book that tells the inside story of how companion animals are transforming our homes, culture, and economy. A long-time political strategist, government regulatory advisor, corporate executive and former litigator, since 2004, Mark has specialized in animal health, animal welfare, veterinary and veterinary educational issues and accreditation, developing a cutting-edge practice across these sectors. Mark currently leads several industry coalitions and initiatives and is a law school faculty member at Lincoln Memorial, Lewis & Clark and University of Oregon law schools. Ok...
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Dec 14 202128 mins