Henri Sallis, Gloria Laisure, Buzz Leer & Elise Brisco

Henri Sallis, Gloria Laisure, Buzz Leer, and Elise Brisco are the storytellers of Lemonada’s series BEING Golden. Throughout the 6-part audio-reality series, the foursome navigates retirement, friendship, dating, dream-chasing, money woes, sex, and adult children with lots of opinions.

What’s your goal for BEING Golden?
HS: My goal is for people of all ages, especially younger, to know that they have something extraordinary to look forward to as they progress in life and for those that are older to know that they're never too old to live the kind of Life they always wanted to live.

BL: My goal is to provide inspiration for other seniors. Hoping that my story will inspire others to keep moving, reinvent yourself and live your passions.  ALSO, if I didn’t say I am HOPING that perhaps some Producer, Director, Casting Director, Agent, anybody with the power to see my on-camera work and give me a chance to audition, offer me a role in a Feature Film or TV series… yeah, that’s a HUGE goal of mine being on this show… basically “kick start” my career.

EB: My goal is to change the narrative about aging, and to help people embrace rather than fear aging by showing how many opportunities are available to us if we don’t let our mindset limit us.

What’s your favorite age you’ve ever been?
HS: 62, right now. I'm in love with my best friend, we’re planning our future and I can live it the way I want without interruptions of kids, family work and friends. We are just able to concentrate on the two of us.

GL: I don’t have a favorite age. All are different. I will say being a senior has been one of the happiest times of my life. We are free from so many things that make humans anxious. As we age we learn to be much more present and we don’t spend much time thinking about what others think of us. When I was young and pretty I was very concerned about how others saw me. Now I’ve learned that people see what they want to see. It’s very liberating!

BL: Wow, good question. Probably my 40’s….raising my children, being a dad, a parent, school drop off, pick up, soccer, baseball, choir, all of the school and sports activities…. guiding my children through preteen and teen years, preparing for adulthood. THE BEST YEARS EVER.

What was the most surprising thing about Being Golden?
HS: The most surprising thing to me is that I thought I had dysfunction in my family life but the more I talk to other people and to staff was that this is just my family's way of showing their love language real happy with where we're at and it may seem dysfunctional to others but it works for us.

BL: It’s always surprising and I get a feeling of gratitude when I am cast in any project.

How did you make it? Were you recording all the time, or were some things kind of staged?
HS: I was recording all the time in real life situations, the only thing that was planned out ahead were some of the places that we went to. But mostly it was day to day real life.

BL: I approached this project like I would any project I do. I allowed myself to be open at all times.

We were recording often, and always kept it real.  I think that is the “secret sauce” of the entire BEING series, that it’s all “real” with no staging… I found myself just wanting to stay “Open” to any and all ideas, thoughts and activities.

What did you learn about yourself making the show?
HS: I always thought that I was cool but I learned from being around others and the team that it’s not just an internal thought, I am pretty freaking cool! :-)

GL: I learned that although my relationship ended badly years ago, my heart needed to remember the wonderful parts of the relationship. The romance, sex and the intimate sharing of everything from childhood memories to our tumultuous political climate. Moments of shared silence that felt like a warm blanket on a cold night. As much as I never wanted anything more to do with him, I kept the anger alive which prevented me from taking another chance on the magic of love. So perhaps I will.

BL: I learned that it’s “ok” to allow myself to be vulnerable. 

How is podcasting different from radio?
HS: Podcasting is different from radio because a lot of radio is scripted. My late husband was an on-air radio personality for a major radio station in Chicago for 13 years and I used to do a lot of his show with him sometimes when he wouldn't like different guests’ voices or things like that or he just wanted to be lazy, I would have a script or pretend like I was someone else and that's how it was for a lot of them. Podcasting feels like you really have something to say and you search for the audience that's going to listen.

GL: It’s radio, just better! That’s how it should be marketed to seniors. “Listen to our podcast……it’s radio, but better! You can pause it, you can rewind it, you can fall asleep and pick up the story when you are ready. Podcast IS radio, just better!

There is this thought in the podcast industry that it is hard to get people sixty and older listening to podcasts at all. Do you find that’s true?
HS:  I rarely listened to podcasts before now but I find that I did a lot of YouTube and that was super easy so I think the industry is leaning more towards podcasts, just like when I was a very young kid and before then there was radio and you use your imagination more with podcasts and radio.

GL: YES! YES! YES! I have worked on computers for over 40 years. I taught seniors (before I was one) how to use them, communicate with family on Gmail and Facebook and even how to troubleshoot problems. I made bulleted cheat sheets and printed them out for reference.  

Before I experienced listening to my first podcast, I felt no need for them. I have a huge TV with so many streaming channels I can’t possibly watch everything!  I have music in my car and on TV and on my phone. Then I found podcasting….I now can listen when my eyes are too strained for TV or my computer.  I can stay focused because I am not flipping through channels on TV. ULTRA is one of my favorites.

BL: Well that’s very interesting and my answer would be yes that’s true.  HOWEVER, it’s not because they don’t want to or are not interested, it’s the “Technology” ….that’s all.  The BEING Golden team has put together  video, audio and written tutorials that explain exactly HOW to find BEING Golden and any other podcast.  I had several friends (ages 60+) that had NO idea how to find a podcast, just a foreign idea….once they are educated on HOW to find, launch and listen they are hooked, it does bring back the days of radio! The demographic is PERFECT for podcasts if you show them how, or find a 15 year old to show you!

EB: My friends and colleagues love podcasts! It is convenient and something you can do while cooking, doing chores, driving or working out without having to sit in front of a TV or computer.

If my readers can’t get their parents/grandparents to listen to a podcast, what should they do to convince them to do it?
HS: I would remind your readers’ parents and grandparents that this is basically what we did before television and how great it was.

GL: Because I was part of this podcast, 50% of my friends did not know anything about podcasts. (I was the same 2 weeks ago). One friend thought it was like live radio and thought she had to make a plan to listen at a certain time. I walked another friend through downloading Spotify and how to search for BEING Golden. He was so excited once all was in place for him to listen! Only a senior could successfully write a How To instruction sheet for seniors.

BL: It won’t take convincing, it simply takes education…show them HOW to find a podcast and they will do it…..the barrier is the “know how.”

EB: Play the podcast for them. Podcasts remind me of what people did before TV. They would gather around a radio listening to stories.

Are there any podcasts that are hosted by senior citizens that you enjoy?
HS: I don't know if there are any podcasts hosted by senior citizens but I'm open to doing one and I would definitely get my friends to listen!

GL: I don’t know, I have not explored that. I personally believe senior content will appeal to all generations. The young can learn from us, the seniors will get a chuckle out of senior “invisible” stories that we all find amusing because we are all going through the same thing. Young listeners will gain more understanding about parents and grandparents. I could go on and on….and on.

BL: None that I am aware of, no.

Was there anything about you that didn’t come through on the podcast?
HS: From what I've heard of the first three episodes it has me pretty well targeted. What I will say is what they chose to be my opening statement didn't reflect me because I was quoting something I had heard from a much older lady in her 90s and she was speaking about how friends and family and children and lovers will all make you worry and you will cry through your life, but when you get to her age, it’s “just two tears in a bucket and fuck it” and even though that wasn't my saying they have me coining the phrase. I wasn't too happy about that because I don't talk like that in my everyday life.

GL: I had many loves in my life. Great men that I have wonderful memories of our times together. The men in my life have all been so playful, romantic and loving to me but I wanted to be independent and single.  That was my preference and my choice and I have had a happy life doing as I please, when I please.  It was just unfortunate that the last one was a bad apple. But I sure do miss the sex!

BL: I don’t think so, but if I didn’t reveal it on BEING Golden, I’m not going to reveal anything new now. :)

EB: That pageants are about strong and beautiful women wanting to make a wrong into a right. We have the chutzpah to put ourselves out there because we believe so strongly in our platforms that we want to help people in need to make a difference in our communities. These are volunteer positions. We are not paid for all the work that we do for charities and worthy causes. The pageants give us a platform with our titles to bring awareness and support for people and organizations that need us most.

If you could start another podcast, don’t worry about the logistics or whether or not anyone would like it, your budget is $1M. What would it be?
HS: If I could start another podcast it would be pretty much exactly like what we're doing today which is letting people know to live their life authentically once they get over a certain age because nothing really changes for you unless it's physical. Your mental capacity is exactly where it should be at the time in your life and you should embrace it and live every moment like it's your last.

GL: I would love to hear a podcast with seniors discussing how they feel about dying. I believe young people need to be educated on how we feel.  I think they would be very surprised and not dread how they will feel when we are gone. Talk to us.  Most of us will liberate you from fear and dread.  Talk to us.

BL: I have 2 ideas currently swirling in my head and I have discussed them with friends and colleagues.

1. I would LOVE to continue with “BEING Golden” as a weekly or bi-monthly Podcast, tracking down other energetic seniors all over the country that could provide compelling, inspirational stories.

2.  This one has been on my mind for a long time and I have discussed with many former colleagues from my former life as a Sales and Marketing Executive.  I would LOVE to tell the story of “The Evolution of RETAIL” in America ….or “150 years of Retail, Ben Franklin Stores to Amazon.”

It would be a weekly discussion with a variety of former retailers, executives, store owners, consumers, buyers, salesmen, etc…basically follow the evolution of the original small store owners, the corner hardware store to Home Depot, the small dress shop to Macys, Department stores and Chain Stores to Amazon, rise and fall and changes in the retail landscape….

What’s a show you love that most people know about?
HS: I like The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. He's hot and super intelligent.

GL: The Extraordinary Attorney Woo!  Absolutely delightful!

BL: Two that I love right now…”Ultra” with Rachel Maddow (MSNBC) and “Smartless” with Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes.

Is there anything I didn’t ask you that you want to say?
HS: I want to say that this entire experience has been very rewarding in a lot of ways and the moments shared are and were very real and we were very vulnerable. Now listening to the other parts with the other cast when I wasn't around makes me feel like I've been a part of something great and I can see this going further. I have an overwhelming feeling that this might very well turn into a television show or a podcast show like the "real life of seniors'' podcast! His will be done. :-)

GL: Adults choosing to participate in beauty pageants are adults and can make their life choices. The thing I totally object to is children participating. It is not “like playing dress up” as pageant professionals will espouse, it is children in heels competing on their exterior beauty. All children are beautiful. Let them play dress up at home without pressure to compete and win.

BL: They call this the Golden Years because it really is a beautiful time of our lives. We have the life experience and wisdom to offer more to the world than we did when we were younger, as well as to enjoy our lives more fully. I am more confident and at peace with myself than I was when I was younger and figuring out myself.

Thanks, Henri, Gloria, Buzz, and Elise!!