The Navigating Solo Podcast Host Ailene Gerhardt, MA, BCPA, CSA®, is an Independent Board Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA), Certified Senior Advisor®, Solo Aging expert & founder of national patient advocacy practice Beacon Patient Solutions LLC. Ailene's dynamic advocacy work includes a focus on Solo Aging. This expertise led to the Fall 2021 founding of the Navigating Solo Network™, a national website & network featuring resources specifically for solo agers.
Learn more about Ailene

Guest, Ep. 2: Essential Insights on Solo Aging
Sara Zeff Geber, Ph.D., is the nation’s foremost expert on Solo Aging. She is an author, professional speaker, and certified retirement coach. Sara was named an “Influencer in Aging” by PBS’ Next Avenue in 2018 and is a regular contributor to Forbes.com in the areas of aging and retirement. In 2018, Sara’s book, Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers: A Retirement and Aging Roadmap for Single and Child-free Adults, was published in 2018,

Learn more about Sara

Guest, Ep. 4: Future Proofing Solo Aging

Joy Loverde has a reputation for being a path carver and visionary. She played a key role in introducing eldercare as an employee benefit to corporate America.

Joy is a mature-market consultant and keynote speaker, and the author of The Complete Eldercare Planner, 4th Edition and Who Will Take Care of Me When I’m Old? Critics hail her work as “illuminating, eye-opening, and required reading for everyone over 40.”

Learn More About Joy

Guest, Ep. 5: Thriving Solo: Navigating Life's Unexpected Journeys

Dr. Crawford has been a clinical health psychologist for more than 30 years working primarily with individuals and families living with the challenges commonly experienced with chronic health conditions.  She was on the professional staff in the Department of Neurology at the Cleveland Clinic for almost 20 years and then on the faculty at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the Department of Neurology at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

Ep. 6: Bringing Solo Aging Stories to the Stage: The Heart of “Solo Acts” Jessica "Decky" Alexander, Sharon Cramer, Tyler Calhoun, and Hananiah Wiggins

Solo Acts: A Theatrical Compilation on Solo Aging is a generative performance designed to catalyze dialogue, raise awareness, and affirm the experience of solo agers. Limelight LLC is a theatre consulting company. They create theatre and use theatre as a story-telling, community-building, and problem-solving tool. They devise and craft situational-specific works of theatre that are framed by a theory of change. Essentially, they want to use theatre TO DO something. 

Learn more about Limelight, LLC

Guest, Ep. 7: Navigating Life's Unexpected Falls: The Power of Advocacy and Support

Elizabeth Edwards, a native of Boise, Idaho, built a diverse career in California's hotel and restaurant industry before transitioning to Sales and Marketing and later to massage therapy. In 2013, she returned to Boise, where she operated a massage practice until the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period, she also earned a Bachelor’s degree from Boise State University, with a focus on Leadership, Project Management, and Business Aesthetics.

In 2022, Elizabeth launched Black Swan Daily Money Management, serving the Treasure Valley region of Idaho.

Learn More About Elizabeth!

Guest, Ep. 8, Men, Connection, and the Art of Solo Aging: A Candid Conversation

Dr. Jackson Rainer is a board-certified clinical psychologist with over 30 years of experience in psychotherapy for adults and couples. As an Emeritus Professor in the University System of Georgia, he retired after serving as a dean and director of clinical training for graduate programs in Georgia and North Carolina. In addition to his practice, he has authored four academic textbooks on grief, crisis intervention, and rural mental health and is a widely published freelance writer featured in outlets such as NPR and PBS affiliates.

Learn More About Jack

Guest, Ep 9: Retirement Reimagined: Finding Your New Routine on Your Own Terms

Norman has recently retired after spending a career in technology, project management and, most recently, in helping older adults to live engaging and productive lives. 

He has led a monthly online session for Selfhelp for over 10 years, "Good Morning on GetSetUp,' a weekly social group for older adults on GetSetUp  for almost three years, as well as recently starting online sessions on 'Secrets of a Happy Retirement" for FrontPorch and for Uniper.  

Guest, Ep. 10: The Soloist’s Guide to Life and Money

Jay Zigmont, PhD, MBA, CFP® is the Founder of Childfree Wealth, a life and financial planning firm dedicated to helping Childfree and Permanently Childless people. Childfree Wealth is the first (and currently the only) life and financial planning firm dedicated to serving Childfree people.

Dr. Jay is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Childfree Wealth Specialist, and author of the forthcoming book The Childfree Guide to Life and Money (Sourcebooks, December 2024). Dr. Jay is the co-host of the Childfree Wealth podcast. His Ph.D. is in Adult Learning from the University of Connecticut.

Learn More About Jay!

Guest, Ep. 12: The Retirement Puzzle: Crafting Your Solo Aging Vision

Eric Blake is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and the founder of Blake Wealth Management, a financial planning firm based in McKinney, Texas. Eric specializes in retirement planning, tax planning, and investment management for women over 55, including those who are single by choice, divorced, or widowed. His personal experiences have fueled his passion for empowering women to achieve financial independence in retirement.

Eric is also the host of "The Simply Retirement Podcast," where he and his guests provide insight and education on retirement planning to help women live their retirement on their terms.

Learn More About Eric!

Guest, Ep. 13:

Cathleen led the sales and marketing efforts of the RiverWoods Group, during a period of expansive growth, growing from two not-for-profit Continuing Care Retirement Communities  campuses to five. Cathleen is known for her TEDx talk, "Secrets to Successful Aging" and is a frequent presenter.  In 2021, she launched an award-winning podcast, Seniority Authority, "Let's Get Smarter About Growing Older” to answer questions on aging.

A graduate of Fordham University (MA) and Fairfield University (BA), Cathleen began her career in ad agency work in New York City.  She is now a consultant for individuals planning for their best future life.

Learn More About Cathleen!