Joan Lunden: A Candid Conversation on the Joys of Aging

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Episode 5: Joan Lunden- A Candid Conversation on the Joys of Aging

EPISODE SUMMARY:

We all remember waking up in the morning to Joan Lunden’s face on our TVs. For years, we’d tune into Good Morning America and watch Joan give us the news while we ate breakfast and started our day. She became an integral part of millions of households and has continued to have an impact on our culture for decades. As a news anchor, mother and author, Joan has helped spread the word on many important topics, including her own battle with breast cancer. As a midlife woman herself, Joan also uses her platform to help normalize the physical and emotional changes we all go through as we age. In part one of our interview, we sat down with Joan to discuss her book, Why Did I Come into This Room, raising children in midlife, what a happiness plan is, and the importance of putting yourself first in midlife.

Joan Lunden

As stated on Joan’s website:

“An award-winning journalist, bestselling author, motivational speaker, and women’s health & wellness advocate, Joan Lunden has been a trusted voice in American homes for more than 30 years. For nearly two decades, Lunden greeted viewers each morning on Good Morning America bringing insight to the day’s top stories. As the longest running female host ever on early morning television, Lunden reported from 26 countries, covered 5 presidents, 5 Olympics, and kept Americans up to date on how to care for their homes, their families, and their health.

Lunden continues to be one of America’s most recognized and trusted personalities. She is a special correspondent on the TODAY Show, host of the CBS series Your Health, and a sought after speaker and event host throughout the country. On her website JoanLunden.com and social media, women interact with her every day about health, wellness, lifestyle tips, family, and boomer information.

In June of 2014, Lunden was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, which required chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation. An eternal optimist, Lunden wanted to turn her diagnosis into an opportunity to help others. She blogged throughout her cancer treatment and wrote a memoir Had I Known, which documents her battle, and reflects on her life and career. Lunden serves as as the face of Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer and advocates for patients on Capitol Hill, and actively communicates with the cancer community through her social media and on her website.

As a part of the sandwich generation, Lunden’s demographic is far-reaching. She is a mother of 7 including two sets of teen twins. Like many Boomers in America she has juggled being a working mom while caring for an aging parent, and brings this experience to her role as the spokesperson for the nation’s leading senior referral service, A Place for Mom, a company helping caregivers and families find the right care and resources for their loved one.

One of the most visible women in America, Lunden has graced the covers of more than 60 magazines and book covers.

Lunden has served as national spokesperson for various organizations such as The American Heart Association, The American Lung Association, The American Red Cross, The American Academy of Pediatrics, Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer, The Colon Cancer Alliance, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Joan Lunden’s books include Had I Known; Chicken Soup for the Soul: Family Caregiving; Growing Up Healthy: Protecting Your Child From Diseases Now Through Adulthood; Wake-Up Calls; A Bend in the Road is Not the End of the Road; Joan Lunden’s Healthy Living; Joan Lunden’s Healthy Cooking; Mother’s Minutes; Your Newborn Baby; and Good Morning, I’m Joan Lunden. She also hosts the exercise video Workout America.

Joan Lunden truly exemplifies today’s modern working woman.”

In this episode, we discuss…

[0:01] Episode Sponsor

[0:17] Introduction

[0:52] Guest Introduction

[2:16] Start of Interview

[3:34] Why Joan Wrote Why Did I Come Into This Room?

[9:05] Joan’s Birthday

[11:25] Joan’s Story of Bringing Her Mother’s Clothing to the Funeral Home

[16:00] Raising Kids in Midlife

[19:35] Happiness Plan

[25:15] Kindra Sponsorship