Wise Women's Conversations

Angela Counsel
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Wise Women's Conversations, is a podcast for women who want to thrive in the second half of life. Hosted by naturopath and health coach Angela Counsel, each episode explores health, wellbeing, mindset, purpose and the wisdom that comes from lived experience. Through practical insights and inspiring conversations, you'll discover new ways to age well, stay curious, embrace new adventures and create a future that feels fulfilling and meaningful. Because your story is far from over.

  1. 4 days ago

    I'm 64 and I Don't Feel Old — So What Is "Old," Really?

    When do you get old? Not on paper. Not the number on a form. When do you start believing it? I'm 64. By most official measures, I'm creeping toward "old" — the top box on the form, the pension I still don't love the word for. And most days, I don't feel old at all. So in this episode, I'm unpacking what actually makes someone old — because the more I've looked at it, the less it seems to have anything to do with age at all. It started at a morning tea for women over 50, where I found myself thinking "everyone here is old" — until I realised several of them were younger than me. It wasn't their age creating that impression. It was something else entirely: an energy, a posture, a quiet belief that they'd said out loud without meaning to — I'm too old for that now. I share the story of a client from years ago who seemed decades older than she was, right up until I checked her date of birth and found she was a month younger than me. I talk about my mother, who's 85 and has chosen to stop moving through the world — and about the women I hiked alongside in Cornwall, some in their seventies, who hadn't made that choice at all. And I get honest about my own version of this: a moment twelve months ago where I decided, quietly, that 72 would be "too old" to still be running my business — and what I've realised that thought was actually asking me. Perhaps old was never a number to begin with. Perhaps it's a belief we picked up somewhere — from a form, an advertisement, a room full of people who decided it before we did — and never thought to question. And perhaps the real question isn't how old you are, but who's actually been deciding that for you. In this episode, you'll discover: Why a room full of women over 50 left me thinking "I don't fit here" — and what I got wrong about whyThe real story behind being labelled a "geriatric" pregnancy at 40What separated the women I hiked with in Cornwall in their 60s and 70s from the women at that morning teaA story about a client who was younger than me but seemed decades older — and what actually gave that awayThe research on "subjective age" — and why how old you feel may matter more than how old you areMy own honest reckoning with a belief I've quietly held about turning 72Why the word "retirement" carries more of a verdict than we realiseThe one shift that changed how I think about ageing altogether Questions to reflect on: Where have you already decided you're "too old" for something — and is that actually true, or borrowed from somewhere else?Who in your life seems "old" to you, and is it really about their age?What would you be doing right now if no one, including you, had put an age limit on it?If ageing is partly a belief, which of your beliefs about getting older are actually serving you? This week's invitation is simple: just notice — once — the moment you catch yourself thinking or saying "I'm too old for that." Don't judge it, don't fix it. Just notice where it came from. Want to keep exploring this one with me? Visit my Wise Women's Conversations Substack to continue the conversation

  2. 9 Sept

    From Suffragettes to TEDX: The 37 Year Story behind One Wise Woman's Line in the Sand

    Reclaiming the Crone: Identity Exhaustion & the Wise Woman Within — with Jen JeffriesWise Women's Conversations — with Angela Counsel In this episode, Angela sits down with naturopath, international speaker and TEDx speaker Jen Jeffries for a rich, honest conversation about ageing, identity and the reclamation of the "crone" — a word our culture has taught us to fear, and one Jen believes we desperately need to take back. Jen has been on stages for around 30 years, and last year she stood on the ultimate one — TEDx — delivering her talk Who Killed the Crone. It was the culmination of a story that began 37 years earlier, when a young Jen first learned about the suffragettes while training as a naturopath. That seed grew through decades of work, a Facebook group called Ascendants of the Feminine, a program called Smart Sassy Seniors, and finally, at 64, a global TEDx call-out asking for ideas that could "disrupt." What we coverThe story behind Jen's TEDx talk — how a message she'd carried for 37 years finally found its stage, and why she cried both before and during her talkWhy "crone" became a dirty word — the witch trials, colonisation, and how the five worst countries for honouring older women (UK, Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand) all trace back to the same historyWhat matriarchal cultures get right — Angela and Jen compare notes on a reed-village matriarch in Lake Titicaca and the Chinese phoenix, Fenghuang, who rises "with grace and certainty" rather than through destruction and rebirthHow to start reclaiming the crone — Jen's simple, practical starting point: gather mindfully, share stories that matter, and let your voice be heardRites of passage — why Western culture has none for menarche or menopause, and what's lost when we don't mark these transitionsIdentity exhaustion — the term Jen coined for what happens when we keep running on the attitudes and beliefs of our 20s and 30s long after our biology, and our lives, have moved onLearning to be quiet — how stillness, not striving, is what lets the wise woman already inside each of us finally come through Memorable momentJen shares the story of her mother turning 50 — and being devastated when Jen sent her a card calling her a "crone." It's a small moment that captures exactly why this conversation matters: the word was never the problem. What we've been taught to believe about it is. About Jen JeffriesJen Jeffries is a naturopath and speaker with three decades of experience on stages around the world. In 2025 she delivered her TEDx talk, Who Killed the Crone, and now hosts the Present Day Wise Woman podcast, where she explores ageing, identity and what it means to stand fully in the wisdom of this stage of life. Links & resources🎤 Watch Jen's TEDx talk, Who Killed the Crone: jenniferjeffries.com🎧 Listen to the Present Day Wise Woman podcast: jenniferjeffries.com📥 Free download — Jen's Crone Circle cheat sheet, for gathering your own circle of women to share stories that matter: jenniferjeffries.com

  3. 31 Aug

    Strong Is the New Beautiful: Peta Gillian on Ageing Without Apology

    She used to stand at the deli counter and let everyone else get served first. Now, she's deadlifting a 40-kilo grandchild. Somewhere between those two moments, something in her shifted. In this episode of Wise Women's Conversations, Angela sits down with Peta Gillian — trainer, mentor, and author of an upcoming book on ageing with strength — to talk about what it really means to stay strong as we get older. Peta pushes back on the "look good, feel good" messaging so many women have absorbed their whole lives, and reframes strength as something far more foundational: the ability to get up off the floor, carry your own groceries, keep up with your grandkids, and stay independent for as long as possible. Peta shares deeply personal stories — including helping her own mother rebuild her strength and mobility after a serious illness, and the small, everyday signs (a smaller bottle of laundry detergent, dishes left in the sink) that quietly reveal a decline in strength long before it becomes a crisis. She and Angela talk candidly about the outdated obsession with the number on the scale, why BMI doesn't tell the full story, and why building muscle later in life is something to celebrate, not fear. Peta also opens up about her own journey — from a quietly rebellious kid teased for having "a boy's name," to a woman who has learned to listen closely to her body and now helps other women do the same. Perhaps strength was never about how we look. Perhaps it's about what we're still able to do — and who we get to be while doing it. In this episode, you'll discover: Why Peta believes women need to become more aware of their own bodies — and why that awareness is often uncomfortableThe real foundations of strength as we age: power, balance, and core stabilityWhy the number on the scale (and BMI) can be misleading measures of healthThe everyday warning signs — like smaller detergent bottles or dishes left in the sink — that reveal declining strengthHow Peta helped her own mother rebuild mobility and independence after a serious hospital stayWhy "being small" is often mistaken for being healthy, when it's actually a sign of frailtyPeta's simple two-step approach: build awareness first, then establish your baselineHow to find small "windows of time" throughout the day to build strength, even without a formal workout Questions to reflect on: Am I listening to what my body is telling me, or am I tuning it out?What's one everyday task I want to still be able to do independently in 20 years?Is my sense of health tied to a number, or to what my body can actually do?Where could I find two minutes today to move with intention? This week's invitation is simple: Take a moment to ask yourself: "What do I want to still be able to do — and what am I doing today to make sure I can?" The answer might surprise you. Connect with Peta Gillian: Ageless Confidence Website - https://agelessconfidence.com.au/ Grab your FREE Guide to Ageing with Intention - https://go.stronghealthywomen.com.au/ageing-w-intention

  4. 24 Aug

    Suzi Dafnis's 30 Years in Business Taught Her This About Slowing Down

    She couldn't finish a sentence. She'd walk into a room and forget why she was there. And she didn't connect any of it to menopause — she just thought she was busy. In this episode of Wise Women's Conversations, Angela talks with Suzi Dafnis, CEO of The Growth Network (formerly Her Business), about the collision between menopause and business leadership — and what happens when the identity you've built your whole life around stops fitting the way it used to. Suzi shares her own experience of brain fog, disrupted sleep and situational depression that crept in during perimenopause, and how she initially had no idea it was connected to menopause at all — she assumed it was simply the pressure of running a business. She and Angela talk candidly about the women Suzi hears from constantly through Her Business and The Growth Network: successful, driven women who've built extraordinary businesses and lives, who now find themselves quietly asking, "I don't know who I am without this." Suzi opens up about her own transition over the last 18 months — stepping back from the model of relentless hustle, learning to delegate, training for a marathon, and giving herself permission to rest without guilt — and shares why she now believes the old idea of pushing through everything is exactly what needs to be released. Perhaps the fog isn't a sign that something is broken. Perhaps it's an invitation to write the next chapter. In this episode, you'll discover: Why menopause is as much a brain transition as it is a physical one — and why that's rarely talked aboutSuzi's personal experience with brain fog, memory changes and situational depression during perimenopauseWhy so many successful women quietly think "I don't know who I am without this business"The moment a mentor challenged Suzi's belief that her "best days were behind her"Why "surrender" isn't the same as giving up, and how reframing it can change everythingThe practical shifts Suzi made to her business model, team and mindset in the last 18 monthsWhy pausing and creating space is often the most important first step in any transitionSuzi's advice for any woman quietly wondering if her best days are behind her Questions to reflect on: Have I mistaken the pressure of "pushing through" for who I actually am?Where in my life or business am I clutching the steering wheel instead of trusting the road?What would it look like to give myself permission to slow down without guilt?Am I trying to read the next chapter while still standing in this one? This week's invitation is simple: Take a moment to ask yourself: "What am I ready to let go of, so something new has room to begin?" The answer might surprise you. Connect with Suzi Dafnis: Join the Her Business Growth Network - https://herbusiness.com/ Follow Suzi on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzidafnis/

  5. 17 Aug

    The Courage to Say "There's Something More" — Bridget Hallam's Story

    She raised two kids on her own. Head down, bum up, just getting through. Then, on a second date, she asked a man to take her for a ride on his motorcycle. She had no idea it would change the entire shape of her life. In this episode of Wise Women's Conversations, Angela sits down with Bridget Hallam — founder of Throw Your Leg Over, motorcycle adventure guide, and professional speaker — to talk about reinvention, courage, and what it really means to say yes to something uncertain. Bridget shares how a single motorcycle ride around Mount Coot-tha 14 years ago sparked a passion that eventually became a business — guiding riders through the European Alps and beyond. But this isn't just a story about motorbikes. Bridget opens up about how hard it still is to ride solo, the fear she sees in others when they're offered the chance to step outside their comfort zone, and why she now speaks professionally on the courage it takes to make uncertain, life-changing decisions — in business, leadership, and life. Angela and Bridget also explore the quiet role nature plays in working through big decisions, and Bridget offers her own wisdom for any woman standing at that "there's something more" moment, wondering what comes next. Perhaps reinvention doesn't require a dramatic leap. Perhaps it starts with one small, courageous yes. In this episode, you'll discover: How a second date on the back of a motorbike sparked a completely new chapter of Bridget's lifeWhy solo riding is still a challenge for Bridget, even after years of experienceWhat it takes to build a business and a life around adventure and courageWhy Bridget believes making a big change is an evolution, not a lossHer two practical tips for women who feel like something more is calling themWhy nature — whether on a hike or the back of a bike — helps ideas and clarity surfaceHow Bridget's speaking career grew out of watching others hold themselves back from bold decisionsWhy courageous decision-making matters just as much in leadership as it does in life Questions to reflect on: Where in your life is fear quietly holding you back from something you actually want?Do you see change as loss — or as evolution?When did you last give yourself quiet space to let an idea bubble up?What would it look like to take one small, courageous step this week? This week's invitation is simple: Take a moment to ask yourself: "What's the small, courageous yes I've been putting off?" The answer might surprise you. Connect with Bridget Hallam: Website: https://www.bridgethallam.comSBS Article: I was a single parent trying to survive. A new hobby changed everything.LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bridget-hallam-speakerCurves Motorcycle Podcast for Women: Listen on Apple Podcasts

  6. 10 Aug

    The Hidden Cost of Being the Woman Everyone Relies On

    You're the one people turn to. The one who solves problems. The one who holds everything together. Whether you're leading a business, managing a team, supporting your family or caring for others, you've probably become the person everyone depends on. But who supports you? In this episode of Wise Women's Conversations, Angela explores why so many successful women find it difficult to ask for help and the hidden cost of always being the strong one. Inspired by a simple moment during a mindful movement class, Angela reflects on the different kinds of support we need throughout life. She shares why asking the right people for support matters, why being understood is often more important than being given advice, and why the support we give ourselves is just as important as the support we receive from others. Through stories from her own life, including running a business, spending time in nature and the lessons she's learnt along the way, Angela invites you to rethink what strength really looks like. Perhaps true strength isn't carrying everything yourself. Perhaps it's knowing when to let someone else help carry the load. In this episode, you'll discover:Why successful women often find it difficult to ask for supportThe difference between being surrounded by people and feeling truly understoodWhy asking the right person mattersThe importance of supporting yourself through sleep, nourishment, movement and restWhat nature has taught Angela about resilience and strong foundationsHow to recognise the weight you've been carrying aloneWhy receiving support is a strength, not a weakness Questions to reflect on:Who do you turn to when life feels heavy?Are you asking the right people for the support you need?How are you supporting yourself?Where in your life are you carrying a weight you were never meant to carry alone? This week's invitation is simple: Take a moment to ask yourself: "What support do I need right now?" The answer might surprise you.

  7. 3 Aug

    The One Habit That Stops You From Growing

    When was the last time you did something for the very first time? As children, we were constantly learning. Every day brought new experiences, new challenges and new skills. But as we get older, life becomes more familiar. We develop routines, create habits and become incredibly efficient at doing what we've always done. While those habits make life easier, they can also keep us stuck. In this episode of Wise Women's Conversations, Angela explores how living on autopilot can prevent us from seeing new possibilities. Inspired by the Japanese concept of Shoshin, or beginner's mind, she shares why approaching life with curiosity rather than certainty can open the door to growth, resilience and new opportunities. Drawing on personal stories, from changing the way she exercises to learning pottery and discovering a new way to approach mindful movement, Angela invites you to consider what might happen if you gave yourself permission to be a beginner again. In this episode, you'll discover:Why our brains naturally create habits and routinesHow living on autopilot can keep us feeling stuckThe difference between having expertise and remaining curiousWhat the Japanese concept of Shoshin (beginner's mind) can teach usWhy trying something new doesn't require perfectionLessons learnt from pottery, movement and learning new skillsHow curiosity can help you navigate the next chapter of your life Questions to reflect on:When was the last time you did something for the first time?Where in your life are you relying on old habits that may no longer be serving you?What could change if you approached one area of your life with curiosity instead of certainty? This week, Angela's invitation is simple: Choose one small thing and do it with a beginner's mind. You might be surprised by what you discover.

  8. 27 July

    Redefining Success After 50

    What if success isn't about achieving more, but about living differently?For much of our lives, we've been taught that success is measured by external achievements: promotions, qualifications, money, business growth and recognition. We're encouraged to keep striving, keep pushing and keep climbing. But what happens when the things that once motivated us no longer feel as important? In this episode of Wise Women's Conversations, Angela reflects on her own relationship with success and how her definition has changed over the years. From climbing the corporate ladder and building successful businesses to raising children and navigating life's many transitions, she shares the moments that made her stop and ask a deeper question: What does success really mean now? As women move into their 50s and 60s, priorities often shift. Freedom, health, connection and purpose can begin to matter more than titles, income and external recognition. This episode is an invitation to pause and reflect on the version of success you've been chasing and whether it still aligns with the life you want to create. In this episode, Angela explores:How our ideas about success are shaped from childhoodThe pressure to keep achieving and striving for moreThe difference between external and internal successThe challenges of balancing career, business and motherhoodThe hidden costs of success and ambitionWhy freedom, health and meaningful experiences matter more than everHow Angela's definition of success has changed over timeWhat success might look like in the next stage of life Questions for reflection:What did success mean to you in your 30s and 40s?Has your definition of success changed?What matters most to you now?When do you feel truly successful? Perhaps success isn't something we earn. Perhaps it's something we intentionally create.

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About

Wise Women's Conversations, is a podcast for women who want to thrive in the second half of life. Hosted by naturopath and health coach Angela Counsel, each episode explores health, wellbeing, mindset, purpose and the wisdom that comes from lived experience. Through practical insights and inspiring conversations, you'll discover new ways to age well, stay curious, embrace new adventures and create a future that feels fulfilling and meaningful. Because your story is far from over.

Information

  • Creator
    Angela Counsel
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Angela Counsel
  • Show Website
    Wise Women's Conversations