Midlife & Beyond Conversations

There’s something about becoming a grandmother that is almost impossible to put into words.That first moment. That first cuddle. The first time you hear your grandchild call your special name.My guest this week, Joy Crawford, understands that feeling very well. She is the founder of What My Grandkids Call Me, a community of grandparents built around a wonderfully simple idea: celebrating the names our grandchildren give us – and the relationships behind them.Joy tells me how one encounter between a little boy and his beloved “Boompa” inspired a faith-driven mission to make a million people smile.We talk about the extraordinary bond between grandparents and grandchildren, the memories our own grandparents leave with us, loving grandchildren who live far away, and the freedom that comes with being Grandma rather than Mum.There are laughs, a few tears, and plenty of stories – including the moment my four-year-old granddaughter informed me, when she spilt her juice on the sofa, that she is apparently the reason I can’t have nice things!If you’re a grandparent, I think you’ll recognise a great deal in this conversation.And I’d love to know: what do your grandchildren call you?Find JoyWhat My Grandkids Call Me:whatmygrandkidscallme.comJoy is also the author of What My Grandkids Call Me A to Z, a collection of grandparent names and reflections from real grandmothers. https://geni.us/6M5s1SfAnd from meMy book, Ageing Wonderfully Well: The Good News About Midlife and Growing Older, is available worldwide here:Ageing Wonderfully WellMidlife & Beyond with Jo Blackwell is a weekly podcast about navigating the years beyond 50 with curiosity, confidence and an open mind. Get full access to Midlife & Beyond with Jo Blackwell at joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com/subscribe

Caroline Nield was 48 when she discovered she was autistic.Until then, she had spent years wondering why certain parts of life seemed harder for her than they appeared to be for other people. She rehearsed conversations before they happened. Phone calls needed preparation. Friendships could be difficult to maintain. Changes to familiar routines could feel disproportionately unsettling.And, like many women who receive an autism diagnosis later in life, she had become very good at adapting and masking.Caroline’s route to diagnosis began when her son was diagnosed as autistic. As she learned more about autism – including sensory differences, social communication and repetitive behaviours – she began recognising herself.When her own diagnosis eventually came, her overwhelming feeling was relief.Rather than giving her another label, Caroline says it helped her begin stripping away some of the labels she had already given herself, like shy, stubborn, difficult.We talk about what autism can look like in women, why so many women reach midlife without recognising that they are neurodivergent, and the difference that self-understanding can make.Caroline also shares some wonderfully relatable examples from everyday life – from supermarket layouts and favourite sandwiches to friendship drift, phone calls and the need for routine.We also explore:• Why autism in girls and women has historically been overlooked• Masking and learning to copy other people socially• The relief – and sometimes grief – that can accompany a late diagnosis• Sensory differences and the need for routine• Friendship and the feeling of never quite fitting in• Executive functioning, overwhelm and the “too many tabs open” brain• Perfectionism and the freeze response• Finding ways of working that suit your own brain• Caroline’s decision to pursue acting in her 40s• Leaving a 20-year HR career and retraining as a coach• Why understanding yourself can be the beginning of treating yourself more kindlyWhat struck me most about our conversation was that this isn’t really a story about acquiring a label.It’s about finally having an explanation, and, perhaps, being able to look back at yourself with a little more self-compassion.FIND CAROLINEInstagram: @caroline_nieldFacebook: Caroline NieldLinkedIn: Caroline NieldCaroline also mentions her free two-minute quiz exploring patterns including cognitive overload, perfectionism, overgiving and the freeze response. AGEING WONDERFULLY WELLMy book, Ageing Wonderfully Well: The Good News about Midlife and Growing Older, is now available worldwide:https://geni.us/AgeingWonderfullyWell Get full access to Midlife & Beyond with Jo Blackwell at joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com/subscribe

What if you didn’t need to reinvent your life to make it better?My guests this week are Ann and Sal, hosts of the 1% Happier and Healthier podcast, and their philosophy is wonderfully simple: instead of setting enormous goals that quickly become overwhelming, make small, achievable changes – just 1% at a time.And they know it works because they’ve done it themselves.After meeting as neighbours 25 years ago, Ann and Sal eventually found themselves training together at the gym. Eighteen months of gradual progress took them from small beginnings to completing a Hyrox doubles event – something Ann initially thought was completely beyond her.But their 1% philosophy reaches far beyond exercise.We talk about changing our relationship with alcohol as we get older, creating healthier boundaries around work, taking five minutes to stop and breathe, putting ourselves back onto our own priority list and recognising that sometimes the smallest pleasures – even drinking your morning tea from a favourite mug – can make everyday life feel a little better.Ann also talks candidly about the transition away from a business that had been central to her identity for many years, and the question so many of us encounter in midlife: if the roles that once defined me are changing, who am I now?We also discuss “preferment” rather than retirement, the importance of continuing to stretch ourselves as we age, and Ann and Sal’s own unexpected adventure into podcasting.It’s a warm conversation about making change feel possible – without believing we have to change everything at once.Because perhaps the question isn’t “How do I transform my life?”Perhaps it’s simply: “What could I make 1% better?”Find Ann & Sal and the 1% Happier and Healthier podcast via their social channels, and on Apple Podcasts.And if you’re navigating your own next chapter, my book Ageing Wonderfully Well is an honest, hopeful guide to midlife and growing older:https://geni.us/AgeingWonderfullyWell Get full access to Midlife & Beyond with Jo Blackwell at joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com/subscribe

Do you ever wake up regretting how much you drank the night before—even though, from the outside, your drinking looks perfectly “normal”?My guest, Kate Bee, is the founder of The Sober School, an online community helping women change their relationship with alcohol without shame, labels or a lifetime declaration that they will never drink again.Kate describes her own experience of feeling lost somewhere between “normal” drinking and the stereotypes associated with alcoholism. We explore grey-area drinking, the way alcohol has been woven into female friendship and empowerment, and why it can begin to affect us differently during perimenopause and beyond.We also discuss:* How to recognise when alcohol is no longer working for you* Why moderation rules can become exhausting* The connection between alcohol, anxiety, sleep and menopause* Whether you need to identify as an alcoholic before choosing to stop* Why Kate recommends a meaningful alcohol-free experiment rather than focusing on “forever”* The unmet needs that can lie beneath the urge to drink* Socialising and celebrating without alcohol* How sobriety helped Kate understand her personality, values and the life she genuinely wantedThis is a warm, non-judgemental conversation for anyone who has privately wondered: Is this becoming too much?Find Kate BeeThe Sober School: https://thesoberschool.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesoberschool/Kate offers free guides, videos and other resources through The Sober School website.Find JoMy book, Ageing Wonderfully Well: https://geni.us/AgeingWonderfullyWellMidlife & Beyond: https://joblackwell.co.ukImportant: This conversation is for general information and support, not medical advice. If you may be physically dependent on alcohol, do not stop suddenly without medical guidance, as withdrawal can be dangerous. NHS alcohol support and guidance. Get full access to Midlife & Beyond with Jo Blackwell at joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com/subscribe

Season 8 of the Midlife & Beyond Podcast begins on Tuesday 11 August, bringing you warm, honest and sometimes moving conversations with women who have lived.Over the coming weeks, we’ll explore everything from sobriety, strength and pelvic-floor health to late-diagnosed ADHD and autism, broken hearts, grandparenthood and wild new adventures.In this short preview, I share a taste of what’s coming—along with news of a brand-new YouTube channel where you can watch the conversations and discover highlights from the podcast archive.Put the kettle on, pull up a chair and join me for Season 8. Get full access to Midlife & Beyond with Jo Blackwell at joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com/subscribe