EPISODE 012 | Cathy Zielske: Age Does Not Guarantee Wisdom

In this refreshingly honest conversation, Cathy Zielske brings her signature candour to the Crone Rising table. From garden-variety neuroticism to hard-earned peace, Cathy shares how years of therapy—not time alone—gave her the emotional intelligence that now shapes her relationships, her work, and her sense of self. Together with Lee, they unpack the cultural pressures around body image, the myths of midlife wisdom, the invisible labour of motherhood, and the powerful choice to stay curious, outspoken, and unapologetically visible in a world that still wants to shrink women as they age. This is an episode for anyone who’s ever felt “too much,” or not enough.

Key Topics Covered

• The myth that age automatically brings wisdom
• Healing neurotic patterns through long-term therapy
• Emotional intelligence and personal growth in midlife
• Body image, smoking, and diet culture from a Gen X lens
• Shifting from self-obsession to outward curiosity
• Modelling healthy behaviour for adult children
• The radical choice to speak out (even on social media)
• Why staying home can be a revolutionary act
• Scrapbooking as therapy and creative outlet
• What it means to find your seat at the table, on your terms

After you listen to the podcast, answer this: What did you believe wisdom would look like at this stage of life? Was it peace, freedom, or maybe just finally giving fewer f*cks? Cathy’s story reminds us that growth doesn’t happen just because the calendar turns. It takes work, courage, and the occasional ass-kicking therapist. What have you unlearned about who you’re supposed to be? 

Come tell us over on Instagram @crone.rising.pod — we’d love to hear your version of aging unapologetically.

Text me if you want to be a guest - or with feedback!

Crone Rising is for every woman who’s done being quiet and done being small. We’re not here to fade. We’re here to rise — unapologetic, unmuted, and unmissable.

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