A COLLEGE GRADUATE AT 76, ‘MISS VI’ LOOKS TO THE FUTURE
REBRANDING AGING®
‘THE FATHER OF AEROBICS’ IS STILL GOING STRONG AT 86 R&B PIONEER’S MOTHERSHIP IS BACK ON COURSE
NO BOUNDARIES DEBBIE ALLEN HAS OVERCOME RACISM, SEXISM AND AGEISM TO BECOME A HOLLYWOOD POWERHOUSE.
CONTENTS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017
BREAKING BARRIERS
5 | FROM THE EDITOR 6 | GROWING BOLDER WITH ... 7 | BOLDER FINANCE Take care of your health, and your wealth will follow. By Marc Middleton 8 | 5 QUESTIONS Kenneth Cooper, M.D., the man who coined the term “aerobics,” practices what he preaches — and is still a force in healthcare at age 86. By Jackie Carlin 16 | BOLDER HEALTH Genetics and the precision medicine revolution. By Bill Shafer 20 | ROAD TO RECOVERY The future in spine surgery is already here. By Marc Middleton 4 G R O W I N G B O L D E R
BY MARC MIDDLETON
22 | BOLDER ARTS Tales from a cabinetmaker’s (now useful) life. By Bill Shafer
FEATURE
24 | BOLDER LIVING Simple strategies for eating better during the holidays. By Jackie Carlin
18 | STANDING OUT, FITTING IN “Miss Vi,” at 76, receives her hard-won communications degree from Rollins College. By Marc Middleton
28 | SURVIVING & THRIVING ® George Clinton’s Mothership is back on course. By Bill Shafer 30 | THE TAKEAWAY Gene Cohen, M.D., discusses the surprising link between creativity and healthy aging.
A COLLEGE GRADUATE AT 76, ‘MISS VI’ LOOKS TO THE FUTURE
REBRANDING AGING®
‘THE FATHER OF AEROBICS’ IS STILL GOING STRONG AT 86 R&B PIONEER’S MOTHERSHIP IS BACK ON COURSE
ON THE COVER: Debbie Allen, despite her many accolades, says her most rewarding work is with young people through her dance academy. Photo courtesy of Debbie Allen
NO BOUNDARIES DEBBIE ALLEN HAS OVERCOME RACISM, SEXISM AND AGEISM TO BECOME A HOLLYWOOD POWERHOUSE.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017
PHOTO COURTESY OF DEBBIE ALLEN
DEPARTMENTS
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Debbie Allen has overcome sexism, racism and ageism to become one of the most powerful executives in Hollywood.
FROM THE EDITOR
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Marc Middleton MANAGING EDITOR Jackie Carlin ASSOCIATE EDITORS Katy Widrick, Bill Shafer ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY Stephen Morales, Scott McDermott, Joshua Soros, Oliver Bokelberg, ABC/Eddy Chen
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IT’LL BE EXCITING TO RECONNECT WITH THIS ENGAGED AUDIENCE.
t’s been a busy couple of months. We’ll soon have a new production studio home and a new TV broadcast home. Growing Bolder is returning to public broadcasting stations nationwide in early 2018, presented by WUCF-TV in Orlando and distributed by American Public Television (APT). We’re excited to reconnect with APT’s highly engaged and passionate audience. We believe that our flagship television program is not only entertaining, inspiring and educational — it’s critically important to our mission of Rebranding Aging®. We all know that we live in an ageist society, and have been brainwashed by the media, marketing messages and our culture in general about what’s possible as we age. The constant bombardment of negative images and messaging has so thoroughly convinced us that aging is a time of loss and limitation that we actually create that reality. We’re literally poisoning our futures with our belief systems — robbing ourselves of not only years of life but also quality of life, and adding billions of dollars to our national healthcare costs. Growing Bolder is flipping the aging narrative to a time of passion and purpose. And one thing we’ve learned, above all else, is that the most effective way to change belief systems and behaviors is through the relatable examples of ordinary people living extraordinary lives. Sharing the results of one study after another, or one expert opinion after another, might stimulate thought — but it rarely leads to personal change. However, when we can see ourselves in others, that’s when the magic of transformation occurs. That’s why we’re anxious to bring the life-affirming, life-changing message of Growing Bolder back to public broadcasting. Please help us spread the word that the rest of our lives can be the best of our lives by reaching out to your local public broadcasting station and telling them that you’re ready to start Growing Bolder!
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Marc Middleton, Editor-in-Chief marcmiddleton@growingbolder.com G R O W I N G B O L D E R 5
GROWING BOLDER WITH
TIM GUNN
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FASHION CONSULTANT/TV HOST “Even when I’m asked to comment on red-carpet looks, I’m much more interested in women who have experience, maturity and a career to reflect upon than the ingenues who are just starting out. I want to look at someone like Helen Mirren. She’s a woman of a certain age, she has a real woman’s figure and she looks fantastic — whether she’s on the red carpet wearing a gown or whether she’s caught by the paparazzi wearing a pair of jeans and a blazer. Even if I could, I wouldn’t turn back the clock. Not even one single second, because with each day I have more experience, I’m a little wiser and I feel more confident navigating the world.”
Tim Gunn is an Emmy-winning co-host and producer of the hit fashion design show Project Runway. He’s also a leading expert himself in fashion and lifestyle design, and has authored several best-selling books. For nearly 30 years, Gunn was an instructor and administrator at New York City’s famed Parsons School of Design, where he still serves as the school’s honorary chair of fashion design.
KENNY LOGGINS
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MUSICIAN
“I’ve had a couple moments where I thought I was ready to sail off into the sunset and retire, but I didn’t do well with it. The first time I tried it, I was 50, and it was because Sony Records, my label since I was 21, dropped me. That was devastating. I finally realized that I must stay creative, or I’ll be depressed. So, I dug into my savings and recorded an album that no one heard because I couldn’t afford to market it the way record companies do. But it taught me that I need to stay active — and part of that is learning to use new technologies. I teach my children that if they follow their hearts, they can make a living at it and find happiness. My advice? Follow the fun.”
Few artists enjoyed more success in the 1970s and ’80s than Kenny Loggins, both as a duo with Jim Messina and as a solo artist. Now, he’s looking toward a much younger audience with a new take on his classic “Footloose.” He’s releasing the song as part of a package that includes a companion book and a CD of new material.
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ACTRESS “I came to Los Angeles in my 60s for a one-year trial run. Finding success in a new career this late in life made me feel like I’m worth something again. I was a psychologist, and worked very hard. But when you retire, you start to feel invisible. Acting, strangely enough, has been very easy for me. My advice to anyone is to take just one step forward. Just keep moving, no matter what you’re interested in. My kids were very encouraging and supportive. If they’d said, ‘You’re a fool to try this,’ I would have been cut down. Instead, they kept cheering me on. Every day is a new adventure. I’d like to have a larger role in some project, but it’ll happen or it won’t happen — it’s just fun to be working.”
Jo Farkas always wanted to be a movie star. As it does for most of us, life got in the way — but her dream never really died. After raising her kids and retiring from her career in psychology, she moved to Los Angeles and finally made that childhood dream come true. She has appeared in commercials, in TV shows such as Chicago Hope, Weeds and American Horror Story and in movies such as My Best Friend’s Wedding.
GB EXTRA Visit GrowingBolderMagazine.com to listen to our Growing Bolder Radio conversations with Tim Gunn, Kenny Loggins and Jo Farkas.
6 G R O W I N G B O L D E R
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017
PHOTOS BY SCOTT MCDERMOTT (TIM GUNN); STEPHEN MORALES (KENNY LOGGINS)
JO FARKAS
BOLDER FINANCE Jean Chatzky has an important investment tip — one that won’t cost you a penny but can yield an enormous payoff.
PLAN FOR LIFE
Take Care of Your Health, and Your Wealth Will Follow. BY MARC MIDDLETON
J
ean Chatzky is the financial editor for NBC’s Today, and she has a tip on the No. 1 investment that you can make. It’s an investment that won’t cost you a cent — and could save you hundreds of thousands of
dollars. In addition to her work on Today, Chatzky is AARP’s personal finance ambassador and a best-selling author. Her new book, Age Proof: Living Longer Without Running Out of Money or Breaking a Hip, addresses the greatest fear of all baby boomers — a fear that outstrips even death itself. “Running out of money before running out of time,” Chatzky tells Growing Bolder. “It’s a very real possibility — especially when you look at longevity and realize that retirement can last 30 or 35 years. Sometimes, it can last even longer.” Rapidly rising healthcare costs are the most serious threat to our financial futures. “More than 80 percent of our healthcare dollars go to caring for chronic diseases,” Chatzky says. “And lack of exercise is the primary cause of chronic diseases.” So, what’s her surefire investment tip? ExGROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM
ercise. “If you can reduce your chances of getting a chronic disease, then you can decrease your future healthcare costs,” she says. “That way, you can increase your investment in retirement accounts.” Chatzky’s belief in the health-wealth connection is underscored by the fact that her new book is co-written by Michael Roizen, M.D., Cleveland Clinic’s chief wellness officer. “We figured out that many of the same habits that help us manage our health can also help us manage our money,” Chatzky notes. “If you develop the discipline for one, you can excel at both.” If managing money is one of the most important life skills, why are so many of us so bad at it? “Because we’re not taught how to do it,” Chatzky says. “I was an English major in college. I didn’t become a good money manager until my late 20s and early 30s. It isn’t rocket science. You don’t need a business degree. You don’t have to be an amazing economist, stock picker or hedge-fund manager. It’s simply good habits, often repeated.” Chatzky is among the large and growing
number of financial experts who say retiring at 65 is no longer practical or desirable. “If you can remain happy, healthy and involved in some sort of work, then you can put off tapping into a pension,” she says. “You can also avoid pulling money out of retirement accounts, and delay or increase Social Security and Medicare payouts. That can make a huge difference in your financial future.” Chatzky remains a big believer in the stock market. “The stock market is a great place to be for the long haul,” she says. “Even if you’re in your 50s, you could have another 40 years to grow your money.” If you’re getting a late start, though, you’ll have to save significantly more, or live on significantly less. Chatzky notes that even people who save often fail to consider making major changes, such as downsizing sooner or moving to a state with a lower cost of living. “At some point, we have to think about big changes rather than small ones,” she adds. “It’s not a matter of skipping the latte and thinking that’s going to do the trick — because it won’t.” Chatzky says that annuities can be a great tool for those approaching retirement. “I like annuities to cover fixed costs,” she says. “Knowing that your fixed costs are taken care of through a combination of an annuity and Social Security is a really comfortable way to live.” Chatzky also advocates “longevity insurance,” which could be a deferred annuity with the potential to provide a significant return when you reach your 80s. The money will have a long time to grow — and will be available at a time when healthcare expenditures are likely to ratchet up. Before we end our interview, Chatzky offers one more word of encouragement to those struggling financially: Invest in relationships. “We’re all looking for a little more purpose and satisfaction, and we find that through our relationships with other people,” she notes. “We find it through doing work that we feel is meaningful and important. It doesn’t come from things. It comes from relationships.”
GB EXTRA Visit GrowingBolderMagazine. com to learn more about Jean Chatzky, her books, her blog and her podcast HerMoney.
G R O W I N G B O L D E R 7
10   G R O W I N G B O L D E R
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
BREAKING
BARRIERS DEBBIE ALLEN HAS OVERCOME SEXISM, RACISM AND AGEISM TO BECOME ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL EXECUTIVES IN HOLLYWOOD. BY MARC MIDDLETON
When she was 12, Debbie Allen was denied admission to the Houston Ballet Academy. Today, she’s a legendary choreographer, actress, director and producer. GROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM
G R O W I N G B O L D E R 11