SheSez with Linda Grasso

Can optimism change the course of a life? When Isabelle Rosa's 70-year-old father lost everything and found himself on the brink of homelessness, she refused to believe his story was over. Instead, she came up with an ingenious plan to help the former Hollywood "caterer to the stars" not only earn a living again, but rediscover a sense of purpose. In the process, Isabelle uncovered the surprising power of what she calls "delusional optimism"—the radical belief that something better is always possible, even when the odds say otherwise.

  The best-selling book Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage—which is being adapted into a film starring Gwyneth Paltrow— has put midlife aka gray divorce in the zeitgeist. In the book, Belle Burden recounts marrying a wildly successful businessman who, at the height of the pandemic, discovers her husband is having an affair.  He leaves her the next day, abruptly ending their 20-year marriage. She thought they were both happy. Making matters even worse, the Ivy league-educated former corporate attorney—who had shelved her career to stay at home with kids—was clueless about the couple's finances. And she had signed a prenup that prevented her from sharing in any of her husband's earnings during the marriage.    So this week I'm re-running an episode of SheSez that features an interview with prominent L.A. divorce attorney Lisa Helfend Meyer. We cover numerous topics: why prenups can be overturned; why mediation can disadvantage women; the "I earned it, why do I have to give her anything?" counter argument; and how we women are wired to be eternal optimists which can sometimes gets us in tricky situations.  

By now, most of us are familiar with LASIK, which can correct both near- and farsighted vision. But there's a newer option that LASIK can't address—the aging eye. As we get into our mid-40s and beyond, the eye's natural lens loses flexibility, leading to presbyopia and that all-too-familiar need for (i.e. hassle of) reading glasses. Lens replacement surgery offers a solution: the aging lens is swapped out for an implant that can restore clear, often near-perfect vision. Many patients choose to have this done at the same time as cataract surgery, since insurance will often cover part of the cost. Dr. Ella Faktorovitch, an industry leader in lens replacement surgery, joins us to share the details of the procedure.  Dr. Faktorovich founded Pacific Vision Institute more than twenty years ago. Under her leadership, Pacific Vision Institute, located in the Bay Area, offers the industry's newest diagnostic and treatment technologies to patients. The Institute's doctors are continually recognized for their involvement in leading research and educational projects that advance the field of vision correction. For more, go to pacificvision.org.

The story of how Yvette Lanneaux started reimagining her life during the pandemic, and ultimately made a pivot from NYC-based attorney to sheep farmer in rural Vermont. Today, farming the artisan wool of Merino sheep (she also has Babydoll Southdown sheep as pets), Yvette lives in a shape-shifting structure that couldn't be more different than the suburban New Jersey home where she raised her kids. It is an uber cool "tiny home" developed by the Dutch designer Caspar Schols and built from prefabricated parts. Only 300 square feet, and architecturally stunning, the structure can expand to 500 feet during warm weather.    

Let's face it: getting a natural look with synthetic fillers is a challenge. Fat grafting—essentially having your own fat taken from a part of your body and having it injected into anothr part—can provide a more subtle visage (think "refreshed" rather than puffy and bulbous) and it lasts longer. San Francisco-based plastic surgeon Dr. Carolyn Chang explains the procedure—plus her take on what the hell Kris Jenner did in her most recent, full facelift to achieve such remarkable results (and yes, it probably involved some fat grafting). Dr. Chang, MD FACS, is a prominent board-certified aesthetic plastic surgeon. Stanford educated and trained, she is widely regarded as one of the nation's leading experts in natural-looking facial rejuvenation, including the deep plane facelift, complex breast surgery, and body contouring tailored to post-menopausal and post-pregnancy changes.