Last fall, I was looking for something new to listen to during a handful of long drives for court appearances and the like and happened to stumble upon a new podcast by Julia Louis-Dreyfus called "Wiser Than Me." As a Seinfeld fan, this immediately drew my attention. I was delighted to discover the premise – personal (and funny) conversations with accomplished and unforgettable women Louis–Dreyfus considers wiser than her. Rather than describe these women by age, I will describe them as Diane von Furstenberg did in her interview, "All have lived at least 70 years."
Over the course of this ten–episode podcast Louis–Dreyfus has conversations with, among others, Carol Burnett, Ruth Reichl, Diane von Furstenberg, and Jane Fonda. Louis–Dreyfus mines the wisdom held by these witty women on all manner of topics ranging from the women's impressive careers, their views on aging, friendships, regrets, and advice they would give their younger selves. The conversations contain the poignant and the incredibly funny. Unsurprisingly, there is a bit of spicy talk and quite a bit of "salty" language along the way.
Other than the rather curmudgeonly Fran Lebowitz, all of the women seemed quite comfortable with their current life stage and were intent on living to the fullest. Each imparted many gems of wisdom. One noted that "aging is living." Another emphasized that women should do thing things that frighten them, "If taking on a big project frightens you – do it. It may open doors and pathways you never expected."
Overall, the podcast is a fabulous empowering (and yet very entertaining) one to add to your playlist. Apple has even recently named it the "2023 Show of the Year." A new season is set to premiere in spring 2024, just in time for you to catch up on season one and become addicted and ready for more.
In addition to "Wiser Than Me," I've also added another new podcast to my playlist that I am particularly excited about because it's hosted by Baker Donelson's own CEO and leader, Tim Lupinacci. Tim's new podcast series, "Everybody Leads," is all about unlocking the inner leader in all of us – embracing our own unique leadership skills and teaching us that leadership might not necessarily be what we think it is. Drawing from his own personal path to leadership, through his on–air interviews with various leaders in the legal industry and other communities, he highlights that the ability to lead lies within all of us. He discusses that while that ability may be buried deep, it's still there waiting for the right conditions to grow. With only a few episodes in, it's a great time to jump in on the "Everybody Leads" podcast.
I hope you will join me by adding both of these podcasts to your playlist, helping you expand your knowledge just in time for the New Year.