We’re living longer than any generation before us, yet many women find that transitions in this stage of life—retirement decisions, changing roles, caregiving, shifts in identity, energy, or health—can feel surprisingly disorienting. This session offers reassurance, perspective, and practical guidance for navigating these years with greater clarity, connection, and vitality.
Grounded in both research and lived experience, the conversation introduces a fresh lens on longevity that moves beyond lifespan and healthspan to include the Third Span™—the dimension of flourishing defined by energy, connection, purpose, and mindset. It also reframes the idea of retirement as "preferment": a conscious choice about how you want to live, contribute, and care for yourself in the years ahead.
A key foundation for the session is the Seven Lifestyle Levers™ Assessment, a science-informed tool that helps illuminate how everyday choices across seven essential areas—movement, nourishment, renewal, relationships, cognition, purpose, and stress management—shape energy, resilience, and overall well-being. Rather than prescribing rigid protocols, the assessment supports a personalized, compassionate “study of one” approach that honors individual rhythms, preferences, and life circumstances.
Together, participants will explore what current research reveals about women’s health and longevity, why so many women experience an energy gap even as life slows down, and how small, intentional shifts can meaningfully improve quality of life over time. Through reflection and small-group conversation, the session invites participants to consider a central, grounding question: What are you really optimizing for now?
The session concludes with practical takeaways and next steps designed to support sustainable energy, deeper connection, and a sense of possibility moving forward. Participants will leave feeling less alone, more informed, and more confident about shaping a life that feels aligned, nourishing, and fully lived—on their own terms.
About Barbara Waxman
Barbara Waxman, founder of The Odyssey Group, is on a mission to revolutionize how we approach aging. As a gerontologist and coach, Barbara empowers individuals to become impactful self-change agents with the capacity to live longer, healthier, and more purposeful lives. Her work at the intersection of coaching, leadership, longevity and wellness has culminated in the Entrepreneurship Turned Inward™ (ETI) coaching methodology; the evidence-informed Seven Lifestyle Levers Assessment™; and the Longevity Lifeplan™. In addition, Barbara has popularized Middlescence as a new life phase and is the author of The Middlescence Manifesto. Most recently, at TEDxBoston: Unlocking Longevity 2025, she delivered a groundbreaking exploration of longevity’s newest frontier, the Third Span™. Barbara has been featured in Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global, the Wall Street Journal, Next Avenue, and CBS This Morning, among others, and is a frequent podcast guest.
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