Dina Aronson and Dina Alvarez: Creating Midlife Private Parts - An Anthology for Women over 40
What happens when two women meet in their fifties and decide that the stories being told about midlife women are incomplete? Dina Aronson, a former attorney turned pro-age advocate and writer, and Dina Alvarez, a freelance writer and co-founder of SomosPadres, created Midlife Private Parts: Revealing Essays That Will Change The Way You Think About Age—an anthology that's reshaping how we talk about midlife transformation, menopause, aging, and what's possible after 40. These two powerhouse editors met through a serendipitous "midlife blind date" and built a creative partnership that's now giving voice to diverse women's experiences of stepping into the 40+ zone and reimagining what comes next. In this episode, we explore how they transformed a cultural need into a community, what it takes to build something meaningful during midlife reinvention, the courage required to pursue big dreams despite feeling unprepared, and why midlife friendships become the foundation for our most important work. If you've ever wondered whether it's too late to start something new, or felt unseen by the narratives being told about your age, this conversation is for you. This is a story about women over 40 reclaiming their narratives, building courage capital together, and refusing to settle for the limited stories culture offers them.
What You'll Learn
The power of midlife friendships and creative collaboration — Understand why these years are uniquely positioned for deep partnership and meaningful work alongside other women
How midlife women are leading cultural conversations about aging — Discover what it takes to publish an anthology that centers diverse women's voices and challenges narrow narratives about the second half of life
Menopause, mortality, and the stories we're not telling — Explore taboo midlife topics (menopause, death, sexuality, aging) and why representation matters for women navigating these transitions
Building courage capital through community — Learn why readiness is not an individual practice but a community effort, and how to identify your allies and amplifiers in midlife
Starting a meaningful project when you don't feel qualified — Understand how decades of lived experience qualify you to do bold creative work, even without traditional credentials
What midlife women uniquely offer the world — Recognize the pattern recognition, wisdom, and crystallized intelligence that make midlife the ideal time for innovation and creative endeavors
Key Timestamps
0:00 - Introduction and Aransas's connection to Midlife Private Parts3:45 - Meeting Dina Aronson and Dina Alvarez, editors of the anthology5:15 - How the book came to life and what makes it special7:00 - The themes within the anthology: vulnerability, community, and sisterhood10:30 - What topics feel most taboo? Death, menopause, and pleasure14:30 - Why representation and seeing ourselves matters16:45 - The serendipitous "midlife blind date" that started it all18:00 - How two women met post-50 and built a creative partnership20:30 - Adult friendship in midlife and why it matters for mental and physical health23:00 - Overcoming the "am I ready?" question and imposter syndrome29:30 - Dina Aronson's journey from attorney to writer (saying "I am a writer")32:45 - Dina Alvarez on readiness and community: building your support system first35:00 - What resources you've built throughout your life that are ready to use36:45 - Priority practices for body, mind, and spirit at midlife38:15 - What's next? Dina Alvarez embracing public speaking and interviews39:30 - Dina Aronson's dream: turning essays into a Hulu anthology series41:00 - Nominations: Susan Koff (Uncommon Threads) and Jessica Fine (Breathtaking)44:30 - Where to find Dina Aronson and Dina Alvarez and the book
Key Takeaways
For midlife women seeking career reinvention: Identity precedes action. You don't need perfect credentials or previous experience to pursue something new in midlife. Decades of lived experience and pattern recognition are qualifications in themselves. Say "I am" before you feel completely ready.
For women over 40 navigating major life transitions: Readiness is not an individual practice—it's a community effort. Build your support system first, then take the leap with people who believe in you. Your friends become your collaborators, and your collaborators become your deepest friendships.
For women seeking representation and visibility: The stories we tell shape what feels possible. When culture stops telling our stories, we lose evidence of what's achievable. Create the representation you need to see. Share your story so other women know they're not alone and understand what's possible for them.
For anyone feeling like they don't belong: Every major accomplishment in your life started with saying yes despite doubt. Short-term awkwardness is always worth enduring to avoid long-term regret. The worst thing that happens is you learn something and move forward.
"There's really no such thing as a midlife beginner, because you do bring all of those sort of layers of experience like becoming like this jumping off platform so that you're never starting from zero or scratch." — Dina Aronson
Resources & Links
Midlife Private Parts: Revealing Essays That Will Change The Way You Think About Age — MidlifePrivateParts.com
Dina Aronson's Patina Newsletter — Patina with Dina Aronson on Substack
Dina Aronson on Instagram — @patina_life
Dina Aronson on LinkedIn — Dina Aronson
Dina Alvarez's A Few Good Things — Substack
The Uplifters Podcast — theuplifterspodcast.com
About Dina Aronson
Dina Aronson is a writer, editor, and pro-age advocate passionate about reframing how culture talks about aging and midlife women. A former attorney who spent years in legal practice and law firm management, she pivoted careers at 51 to pursue writing and advocacy work. She founded the Patina blog, now a popular Substack newsletter, where she explores aging through an honest, curious midlife lens. As co-editor of Midlife Private Parts: Revealing Essays That Will Change The Way You Think About Age, Dina is leading important conversations about what it means to age authentically in a youth-obsessed culture. She serves on the Governing Board of America Needs You and the Influencer Council of Uncommon Threads. She lives between New York City and Miami with her husband.
About Dina Alvarez
Dina Alvarez is a writer, editor, and community builder who has spent her career amplifying underrepresented voices. She began as a freelance writer covering education and lifestyle topics for publications like Big Apple Parents, then co-founded SomosPadres, the first bilingual parenting publication for Hispanic families in New York City. Her transition into micro-blogging about midlife women led her to co-create Midlife Private Parts, an anthology that gives voice to diverse stories about stepping into the 40+ zone and navigating midlife transformation. Dina is dedicated to connecting women across generations and creating opportunities for midlife women to share their stories and build community. She is the mother of two adult sons and lives in New York City with her husband.
About Your Host
Aransas Savas is a wellbeing and leadership coach specializing in helping women over 40 navigate midlife transitions, career changes, and second-act reinvention. With 20+ years of behavioral research experience partnering with companies like Disney, Weight Watchers, and Best Buy, she hosts The Uplifters Podcast, featuring women doing transformative work in the second half of their lives. Aransas brings both research rigor and personal experience to conversations about courage capital, midlife transformation, and building meaningful second acts.
Connect with Aransas:
Instagram: @aransas_savas
Podcast Instagram: @the_uplifters_podcast
TikTok: @theuplifterspodcast
Facebook: Aransas Savas
Website: theuplifterspodcast.com
YouTube: @theuplifterspodcast
LinkedIn: Aransas Savas
Keywords
perimenopause career change, women over 40, midlife reinvention, menopause second act, starting over at 40, women changing careers 40s, midlife transition women, second half of life, courage capital, midlife transformation, women entrepreneurs over 40, midlife women aging, female creativity midlife, women 40s new career
