Julia Gets Wise with Governor Janet Mills

This week on Wiser Than Me, Julia sits down with 73-year-old style and music legend Cyndi Lauper. The pair talk premonitions, pop hits, and why she thinks she owes Steven Spielberg a decades-overdue apology note. From singing in the shower as a kid to writing the Broadway musical Kinky Boots, Cyndi talks about her creative chaos, and standing up to anyone who tells her to “just sing.” She opens up about marriage, activism, and why flowers apparently wave back when you’re famous. Plus, Julia and her 92-year-old mom Judy discuss Julia’s childhood psychic powers. Follow Wiser Than Me on Instagram and TikTok @wiserthanme and on Facebook at facebook.com/wiserthanmepodcast. Find us on Substack at wiserthanme.substack.com. Keep up with Cyndi @cyndilauper on Instagram. Pre-order the latest book from Julia’s mom Judy Bowles here: https://finishinglinepress.com/product/they-spoke-of-the-river-by-judith-bowles/   Find out more about other shows on our network at @lemonadamedia on all social platforms. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today by hitting 'Subscribe' on Apple Podcasts or lemonadapremium.com for any other app. For exclusive discount codes and more information about our sponsors, visit https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/.  For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com.

Julia is joined by 85-year-old folk legend and lifelong activist Joan Baez, who is still dancing, still showing up, and still refusing to be quiet. They talk about singing before a quarter million people at the March on Washington in 1963, what made Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. laugh, and what real courage feels like from the inside. Joan opens up about her decades-long struggle with anxiety, forgiveness, and dissociative identity disorder. Oh, and she sings. Three times. Afterwards, Julia calls her 92-year-old mom Judy — who, it turns out, was playing folk music on a portable Victrola in Sri Lanka when Julia was young. Follow Wiser Than Me on Instagram and TikTok @wiserthanme and on Facebook at facebook.com/wiserthanmepodcast. Find us on Substack at wiserthanme.substack.com. Keep up with Joan Baez @joancbaezofficial on Instagram. Pre-order the latest book from Julia’s mom Judy Bowles here: https://finishinglinepress.com/product/they-spoke-of-the-river-by-judith-bowles/   Find out more about other shows on our network at @lemonadamedia on all social platforms. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today by hitting 'Subscribe' on Apple Podcasts or lemonadapremium.com for any other app. For exclusive discount codes and more information about our sponsors, visit https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/.  For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com.

This week, Julia sits down with 76-year-old trailblazing actress Pam Grier, Hollywood's first female action star. Pam opens up about the childhood injury that left her with a stutter, and how a giant draft horse healed her. She reflects on channeling her mother's quiet strength into the iconic titular character Coffy, gets candid about her Stage 4 cervical cancer diagnosis, and shares thoughts on the unexpected pleasures of aging you did not see coming. Plus, Julia tries to explain karaoke to her 92-year-old mom Judy.  Follow Wiser Than Me on Instagram and TikTok @wiserthanme and on Facebook at facebook.com/wiserthanmepodcast. Find us on Substack at wiserthanme.substack.com. Pre-order the latest book from Julia’s mom Judy Bowles here: https://finishinglinepress.com/product/they-spoke-of-the-river-by-judith-bowles/  Find out more about other shows on our network at @lemonadamedia on all social platforms. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today by hitting 'Subscribe' on Apple Podcasts or lemonadapremium.com for any other app. For exclusive discount codes and more information about our sponsors, visit https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/.  For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com.

On this episode of Wiser Than Me, Julia sits down with 74-year-old scene-stealer Jean Smart. They get into the final season of Hacks, the highs and lows of a career in Hollywood and what it feels like when great material finally meets the actor it was meant for. Jean opens up about parenting a teenager in her 70s, dating as a widow, and her family’s witchy past. Plus, Julia shares behind-the-scenes Seinfeld writer’s secrets, and her 92-year-old mom Judy reflects on her days as a beauty queen. Follow Wiser Than Me on Instagram and TikTok @wiserthanme and on Facebook at facebook.com/wiserthanmepodcast. Find us on Substack at wiserthanme.substack.com. Keep up with Jean Smart @realjeansmart on Instagram. Pre-order the latest book from Julia’s mom Judy Bowles here: https://finishinglinepress.com/product/they-spoke-of-the-river-by-judith-bowles/  Find out more about other shows on our network at @lemonadamedia on all social platforms. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today by hitting 'Subscribe' on Apple Podcasts or lemonadapremium.com for any other app. For exclusive discount codes and more information about our sponsors, visit https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/.  For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com.

We’re coming back with more episodes of Wiser Than Me, and Julia’s still asking older, wiser women to tell her everything they know. It's all on the table – the triumphs, the missteps, and the wisdom that comes from surviving it all. And of course, each episode ends with a check-in from Julia's 92-year-old mom, Judith. New episodes start May 6th, from Lemonada Media.