The Midlife Chrysalis

Aging in America has never been the same for everyone. Chip Conley sits down with Ray Jetson, pastor, former Louisiana legislator, and author of Aging While Black, to explore why aging isn’t a race-neutral experience and what it really means to age well in a system that was never built for everyone.Ray shares a simple, powerful way to rethink aging through community, innovation, and shared wisdom across generations.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why aging while Black carries unique structural and economic realitiesHow the village concept and Sankofa help bridge past, present, and futureWhy technology and mutual mentorship matter for aging wellWhat collective longevity looks like across generationsThis conversation invites us to rethink aging, equity, and how we care for one another at every stage of life. Watch now and join the conversation. Timestamps:03:02 Three pillars of aging while black05:43 The village concept and African origins08:18 Ubuntu and community identity11:11 The Black church as a village13:07 Embracing innovation and technology18:39 Sankofa and learning from the past24:38 Intergenerational circles and family wisdom27:35 Collective longevity across generations33:08 Keeping hopeful and building systems39:50 Sources of inspiration and leadership43:20 What makes aging while black different51:03 Wisdom bumper sticker53:27 Closing thoughts and workshop invitation Learn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/

Most leaders are chasing short-term wins and missing the long game.In this episode, Chip Conley talks with Rand Stagen, founder of the Stagen Leadership Academy, about what’s quietly breaking leadership today and how to lead with purpose, perspective, and staying power.Rand shares hard-earned insights from decades of working with CEOs and entrepreneurs who want more than success, they want meaning.You’ll learn:- Why short-term thinking undermines great leadership- What it means to play the infinite game- How awareness creates better choices- Why the best leaders think in decades, not quartersIf you’re leading others, or rethinking your own direction, this conversation offers a clear, grounded reframe.👉 Watch now and start playing the long game. Timestamps:05:51 Rand Stagen personal leadership journey07:47 The advice for young entrepreneurs10:17 Entrepreneurial roots and early influences12:43 Founding the Leadership Academy16:50 Structure of the leadership program22:23 Integral theory explained26:18 Leadership and polarization35:57 Practical advice for leaders41:45 Conscious Capitalism principles45:41 Short term versus long term thinking52:01 Workshop goals and takeaways56:18 Who the workshop is for58:12 Leadership wisdom and closing insight Learn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/#LeadershipDevelopment, #ConsciousLeadership, #LongTermThinking, #LeadershipMindset, #PersonalGrowth, #ExecutiveLeadership, #PurposeDrivenLeadership, #InfiniteGame, #MidlifeLeadership, #SelfLeadership, #LeadershipPodcast, #AwarenessAndChoice, #ModernLeadership, #LeadershipWisdom, #ChipConley

Most companies are racing toward AI, efficiency, and scale while quietly losing the one advantage that actually sustains great leadership: wisdom. In this Wisdom Wednesday episode, we reveal why culture, lived experience, and human judgment matter more than ever. Chip draws on decades of leadership experience to explain why many organizations are losing their edge and what they can do to reclaim it. In this episode, you’ll learn:- Why leadership is a practice, not a personality trait- How culture is shaped when leaders aren’t in the room- What companies lose when institutional wisdom disappears- The difference between knowledge workers and wisdom workers in the AI era As technology accelerates, human skills become the real competitive edge.👉 Watch now and discover how wisdom future-proofs leadership and culture. Timestamps:00:13 Leadership as a practice02:29 Culture leaders overlook05:18 Defining real company culture08:57 Institutional wisdom loss13:47 Knowledge workers vs wisdom workers18:30 AI impact on early careers22:22 Humanities and philosophy comeback22:44 Wisdom at Airbnb25:53 Informal mentors and EQ27:57 Leading yourself first28:18 Resources and upcoming workshop30:12 Closing thoughts Learn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/#LeadershipWisdom #WisdomAtWork #FutureOfLeadership #AIAndLeadership #CompanyCulture #EmotionalIntelligence #KnowledgeVsWisdom #HumanSkills #MentorshipMatters #InstitutionalWisdom #LeadershipDevelopment #WisdomWednesday #LeadershipCulture #AIImpact #ModernLeadership

Have you ever reached a point in life where what once worked… suddenly doesn’t?In this warm conversation with Chip, Ben Katt, MEA’s faculty in residence and author of The Way Home, offers a hopeful reframe of midlife. Rather than seeing it as a breakdown, Ben invites us to see this season as a meaningful transition, one that asks us to let go of old roles and reconnect with who we truly are. In this episode, you’ll discover:- Why midlife often feels disorienting, even when life looks “successful” on the outside- How releasing familiar identities creates space for deeper purpose and wholeness- Why stillness, reflection, and meditation are essential during times of change- How community and support help us move through transitions with more easy If you’re feeling restless, uncertain, or quietly asking “What’s next?”, this conversation offers clarity, comfort, and a sense of direction.👉 Watch now and explore what this chapter of your life is gently calling you toward.Timestamps:00:35 The Hero’s Journey and The Way Home04:49 Ben’s five-year soul journey07:20 Achievement perfectionism and people pleasing09:44 Meditation and inner balance13:19 Phase 1: Leaving the familiar15:46 Phase 2: Falling into the unknown18:30 Dark night of the ego20:51 Wander in the wild23:56 Support and community29:52 Phase 3: Rising to wholeness33:46 Stillness and begin again38:58 Teaching wisdom without religion44:13 The wisdom well metaphor47:21 Why wisdom matters now50:28 Wisdom bumper sticker Learn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/Find Ben Katt at https://benkattofficial.com/ #MidlifeTransition #MidlifeCrisis #MidlifeTransformation #HeroJourney #FindingPurpose #MidlifeWisdom #LifeTransitions #PersonalGrowth #MidlifeAwakening #SecondHalfOfLife #InnerWork #MeaningInMidlife #JosephCampbell #WisdomTraditions #MidlifeChrysalis

What if the wellness advice you followed for years stops working after 50?In this episode, wellness pioneers Jeff Krasno, co-founder of Wanderlust, and Schuyler Grant, founder of Kula Yoga Project, share how their approach to health quietly but radically shifted in midlife, and why many popular wellness habits fall short as we age.With decades spent in yoga, wellness festivals, and lived experience, they share what actually matters now.They share insights on:- Why yoga alone isn’t enough after 50- How muscle and strength shape metabolic and brain health- The importance of diverse movement, not extremes- How simple habits and presence support long-term well-beingThis is a grounded, honest conversation about aging well — without hype or shortcuts.👉 Watch now and rethink what midlife wellness really requires. Timestamps:01:22 Skylar’s yoga studio near Ground Zero05:54 The origins of Wanderlust09:47 Early resistance to the festival idea11:28 Wellness hotels and business travel14:32 Challenges of working with a spouse20:52 What wellness means after 5020:52 Muscle, metabolism, and aging26:30 Yoga versus strength training29:43 Muscle health and brain health31:37 Diversity of movement in midlife34:38 Curiosity, learning, and discomfort37:34 Habit stacking explained40:27 Wellness and politics45:49 Upcoming Baja workshop49:27 Wisdom bumper stickers Learn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/ #WellnessAfter50 #MidlifeWellness #HealthyAging #StrengthAfter50 #MuscleAfter50 #AgingWell #Over50Health #MidlifeHealth #LongevityLifestyle #FunctionalFitness #WellnessPodcast #HealthyMidlife #MindBodyHealth #HabitsForHealth #LifeAfter50