Over 50 Shades of GREAT

with Deborah Read
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

Over 50 Shades of Great is a community for women navigating reinvention, relationships, purpose, and wellbeing in midlife and beyond. Hosted by longtime television producer and first-time mom at 53, Deborah Read, the show features honest conversations about aging, dating later in life, career pivots, motherhood on a different timeline, beauty, and vitality. Each episode explores how to thrive after 50 offering inspiration, perspective, and real-life stories of transformation. Because life isn’t black and white — there are a million shades of GREAT in between.

  1. 5d ago

    Dating and Finding Love After 60: The Golden Bachelorette Joan Vassos on Love After Loss

    Dating after 60: Golden Bachelorette Joan Vassos on finding love after loss, life after The Golden Bachelorette with Chock Chapple, and rediscovering herself beyond motherhood and caregiving.On this episode of Over 50 Shades of Great, Joan reunites with Deborah, a producer who shared her Golden Bachelorette journey, for a warm, funny, and personal conversation about what happened on camera — and what changed when the cameras stopped rolling.Joan shares how two glasses of wine inspired her Golden Bachelor application, why stepping outside her comfort zone changed her life, and how friendships with other women helped her feel seen again. She also opens up about grieving her late husband John, and the conversation that helped her understand she could honor that love while opening her heart to someone new.Plus, Joan discusses building a relationship with Chock after the finale, navigating long-distance love and family commitments, and why she doesn't want Instagram to dictate their life together.💬 Whether you're dating over 50, navigating grief, rebuilding confidence, or wondering what your next chapter looks like — this conversation is for you. IN THIS EPISODE: 🌹 Returning to dating after decades of marriage 🌹 Finding love after losing a spouse 🌹 Feeling invisible after 60 — and finding your voice again 🌹 Behind the scenes of The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette 🌹 The friendships that changed Joan's experience of midlife 🌹 Joan and Chock's private visits after filming 🌹 Balancing romance, motherhood, grandmotherhood and caregiving 🌹 Releasing fear and making room for your own next chapter #GoldenBachelorette #JoanVassos #DatingAfter60 #DatingOver50 #FindingLoveAfterLoss #GoldenBachelor #LoveAfterLoss #Widowhood #DatingAfter50 #SecondChanceAtLove Explore more: https://www.over50shadesofgreat.com/

    Dating and Finding Love After 60: The Golden Bachelorette Joan Vassos on Love After Loss

  2. Sep 10

    Life After 50: Ageism, Fillers and Reinvention with Eric Stern

    Get ready for the most unfiltered conversation about life after 50. We have talk about ageism, cosmetic procedures, retirement and reinvention.From the pressures of workplace ageism to the joy of grandparenting, Eric gets real about confidence, body image, and staying engaged in a world that can be quick to overlook older people. Along the way: the state of his face after fillers, a retirement in Santa Fe that barely lasted a day, an unforgettable death doula spam call, and a rapid-fire round of "Shade or Great" on everything from dating apps to designer labels. In this episode: ⚡Ageism at work and the fear of being pushed aside ⚡Reinvention after 50 and finding new possibilities ⚡Fillers, body image and getting comfortable with yourself ⚡Grandparenting, community and the power of feeling seen ⚡Eric's candid takes on dating apps and cancel culture ⚡Dressing your age 00:00 Intro 02:00 The fillers conversation 12:00 The "you're a tree" wedding story 28:00 The death doula spam call 38:00 Shade or Great rapid-fire 50:00 Closing thoughtsCome for the laughter. Stay for the reminder that you still have things to do and a life to enjoy. What's one expectation about getting older you're ready to let go of? Tell us in the comments. Subscribe to Over 50 Shades of Great for more honest conversations about life after 50. #Over50ShadesOfGreat #LifeAfter50 #ageism #womenover50 #midlifecrisis #datingover60 #reinvention #over50fashion #over50andthriving #retirement #grandparents #botox #pivots

    Life After 50: Ageism, Fillers and Reinvention with Eric Stern

  3. Sep 9

    The Real Reason You Can't Find Love After 50 with Jaydi Samuels Kuba

    The Secrets No One Tells You Dating after 50 — or wondering whether lasting love is still possible? In this episode of the Over 50 Shades of Great podcast, Hollywood matchmaker and dating coach Jaydi Samuels Kuba joins Deborah Read to reveal what actually creates connection, chemistry, and a lasting relationship. Dating over 50 comes with its own rules. Jaydi shares the biggest dating mistakes that cost women love, why a perfect checklist can block you from recognizing the right person, and how to signal interest without lowering your standards In this conversation you'll learn: 💛 How dating changes after 50 💛 The biggest dating mistakes on first dates 💛 Chemistry vs. long-term compatibility 💛 How to spot your real relationship deal breakers 💛 Why to give a promising date a second chance 💛 Dating apps and the illusion of unlimited choice 💛 Whether men should pay on the first date 💛 Love languages and flirting styles 💛 Financial safety in later-life dating 💛 Why love can arrive in your 50's, 60s, 70s and beyond Hollywood matchmaker Jaydi Samuels Kuba shares how to build lasting connections. Dating in your 50s and beyond comes with unique challenges, but it also offers the chance for a more intentional search for a partner. In this conversation, we examine the common dating mistakes that hold women back and the mindset shifts needed to recognize genuine compatibility. Whether you are navigating dating apps or wondering if you should give a second date a chance, this discussion provides actionable relationship advice for modern romance. We also address the practical side of modern dating, including how to handle financial boundaries, flirting styles, and the impact of the illusion of choice. By identifying your real deal breakers and moving past the perfect checklist, you can better position yourself to connect with the right person. These matchmaker tips help you navigate the nuances of later-life dating while keeping your standards high. Subscribe for weekly relationship insights, and share this with a friend who is ready for their next chapter. 00:00 Intro 02:00 How Deborah became a Hollywood matchmaker 10:00 The dating persona & nervous dating habits 20:00 "Earning exclusivity" — why you shouldn't rush 30:00 The checklist that blocks real love 40:00 The biggest mistakes on first dates 50:00 Love languages & flirting styles 1:00:00 Shade or Great? rapid-fire dating takes 1:15:00 Jaydi's unexpected love story 1:25:00 Where to find JaydiConnect Jaydi Samuels Kuba: LJMatchmaking: https://www.ljmatchmaking.com/ Instagram: @matchmadeinhollywood Podcast: Match Made in Hollywood Book: Your Last First Date — https://www.simonandschuster.com/book... If this episode spoke to you, please subscribe so you never miss an episode, and share it with a friend who needs to hear it. Your greatest love story may still be ahead of you. #dating after 50 #dating tips for women over 50#dating advice for women over 50#love after 60 #Best Dating Advice#over 50 dating#matchmaker tips#findlove#datingmistakes #relationship advice find love

    The Real Reason You Can't Find Love After 50 with Jaydi Samuels Kuba

  4. Sep 3

    After 21 Years, Nike Let Her Go—Then Kim Lawrence Reinvented Herself

    After 21 years at Nike, Kim Lawrence was laid off in a five-minute call—and the identity she had spent decades building disappeared with it. Known throughout Hollywood as “Nike Kim,” she had worked in entertainment and sports marketing, cultivating relationships with filmmakers, producers and studios. Her career included projects associated with Black Panther, Space Jam: A New Legacy and other major cultural moments. Losing that career at 52 brought grief, panic and a difficult question: Who was Kim without Nike? In this candid conversation, Kim and Deborah Read explore career loss, ageism, identity and the emotional reality of beginning again after 50. Kim describes applying for jobs, facing rejection and slowly letting go of the belief that her next role needed to equal—or surpass—her former status. Then an unexpected opportunity appeared. At 58, Kim completed seven weeks of training and became a flight attendant. The job gave her a renewed sense of purpose, adventure and connection, along with the freedom to stop measuring her worth by a corporate title. Kim also shares how her emergency training helped her respond when a passenger experienced cardiac arrest—and why the experience reminded her that she remains a powerful, capable woman, even though her life looks different from what she once imagined. An inspiring episode about job loss, career reinvention after 50, releasing ego and remaining open to the opportunity that may change everything. “If you’re not done, don’t be done.”

    After 21 Years, Nike Let Her Go—Then Kim Lawrence Reinvented Herself

  5. Aug 24

    How to Build a Life After Loss: Grief, Faith & Reinvention with Simbi Hall

    Writer, director, and producer Simbi Hall joins Deborah for a deeply personal conversation about grief, faith, creativity, and rebuilding a life after unimaginable loss. Simbi reflects on her career producing live television, including years working on the Oscars red carpet, and shares why she believes stories can change hearts in ways politics cannot. She also opens up about losing her aunt, father, and mother within one month—and how that profound grief made her feel as though she had entered an entirely new universe. Together, Deborah and Simbi explore the connection between pain and humor, the Buddhist belief that love does not disappear, and the process of making room for a new life without erasing the one that came before it. Simbi also discusses her latest creative project, How to Build a Life, a fitting reflection of the chapter she is living now. This is a tender, funny, and hopeful conversation about being present, following your calling, and finding the courage to begin again.

    How to Build a Life After Loss: Grief, Faith & Reinvention with Simbi Hall

  6. Aug 12

    Beyond the Reality TV Headlines: Kristen Doute on Motherhood, Growth & Reinvention

    Kristen Doute, known from Vanderpump Rules and The Valley—joins Deborah Read for an honest conversation about the role that has transformed her most: becoming a mother. Kristen opens up about welcoming her daughter, Kaia, in her 40s; the disorienting reality of postpartum identity; and returning to filming when her baby was only a few months old. She shares why she no longer feels compelled to fight every battle, how her village has become smaller but stronger, and why she is learning to accept the woman she is now instead of trying to get back to who she was before. The two new moms also compare their paths to parenthood, talk about balancing work with the moments they never want to miss, and explore the expectations women place on themselves. Kristen reflects on building a family with Luke, protecting the people she loves, modeling healthy self-talk for her daughter, and finding her way back to creativity and the projects that fulfill her. Honest, warm, and very funny, this episode is about motherhood, reinvention, and allowing life’s biggest changes to reveal a new version of you. Follow Over 50 Shades of Great and share this episode with a friend who needs the reminder that none of us has to have it all figured out.

    Beyond the Reality TV Headlines: Kristen Doute on Motherhood, Growth & Reinvention

  7. Aug 8

    How to Help Someone With Addiction Without Pushing Them Away: with Amber Hollingsworth

    What do you do when someone you love is struggling with addiction—but refuses to admit there’s a problem? Addiction expert Amber Hollingsworth joins Deborah to reveal how families can recognize the hidden signs of addiction, reach someone who is in denial, and offer support without pushing them further away. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience, Amber explains why high-functioning addiction can remain hidden for years, how confrontation may reinforce denial, and why loved ones often become trapped in cycles of blame, gaslighting, and self-doubt. She also explores alcohol, opioids, marijuana addiction, interventions, parenting, and the difference between healthy boundaries and attempts to control another person. Most importantly, Amber offers a hopeful message: people can recover, families are not powerless, and no one has to lose everything before choosing a different path. In this episode: • The early warning signs of addiction• How to help someone who refuses help• Why confrontation and some interventions can backfire• Recognizing high-functioning alcoholism• Addiction-related gaslighting and denial• How to speak with children about drugs and alcohol• Setting boundaries while protecting your peace• Why “rock bottom” is not a requirement for recovery Amber is the creator of Put the Shovel Down, an educational platform helping families understand addiction and respond more effectively. This episode is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, mental health, or addiction treatment. If you or someone you love is in immediate danger, contact emergency services or an appropriate crisis resource in your area.Connect with Amber:https://www.youtube.com/@PutTheShovelDownhttps://www.familyrecoveryacademy.online/#AddictionRecovery #HighFunctioningAddiction #Alcoholism #FamilyAddiction #AmberHollingsworth

    How to Help Someone With Addiction Without Pushing Them Away: with Amber Hollingsworth

  8. Jul 22

    How to Overcome Money Fear and Start Planning for the Life You Want with Jennifer Lee

    Money doesn’t have to be frightening—it’s a tool that can help you create the life you want. Deborah sits down with Jennifer R. Lee, AWMA®, AIF®, for an encouraging conversation about facing your finances, moving beyond avoidance and taking practical steps toward a more secure future. Jennifer explains why it’s never too late to start saving and planning—and why even small improvements can make a meaningful difference. Whether you’re just beginning to take control of your money or reassessing an existing financial plan, this episode offers a reassuring invitation to pull your head out of the sand, understand what you have and move forward with greater confidence. Learn more about Jennifer: https://calendly.com/jennifermodernwealth Website: https://modern-wealth.com/ Find Jennifer’s book: https://squeezethejuicebook.com/product/squeeze-the-juice-live-with-purpose-then-leave-a-legacy/ Discussions in this show should not be construed as specific recommendations or investment advice. Always consult with your investment professional before making important investment decisions. Securities offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a registered Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Modern-Wealth, LLC and Cambridge are not affiliated.

    How to Overcome Money Fear and Start Planning for the Life You Want with Jennifer Lee
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Over 50 Shades of Great is a community for women navigating reinvention, relationships, purpose, and wellbeing in midlife and beyond. Hosted by longtime television producer and first-time mom at 53, Deborah Read, the show features honest conversations about aging, dating later in life, career pivots, motherhood on a different timeline, beauty, and vitality. Each episode explores how to thrive after 50 offering inspiration, perspective, and real-life stories of transformation. Because life isn’t black and white — there are a million shades of GREAT in between.

Information

  • Creator
    with Deborah Read
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © with Deborah Read
  • Show Website
    Over 50 Shades of GREAT