Diane Gilman: The Jean Queen - Too Young To Be Old

Show Notes - S4 Ep 19 (#152) This week Nicola and Di chat with the fabulous Diane Gilman. Diane is known as the ‘Jean Queen’ and has spent decades proving that age is just a number. From building a fashion empire and revolutionising denim for women, surviving breast cancer and becoming one of the leading voices in the pro-aging movement, Diane keeps reinventing herself at every chapter. Now in her 80s, Diane is showing us how to stay vibrant, visible and unapologetically ourselves. In this episode we hear about Diane’s early life, the way she visualised the life she wanted at the age of 8, dreaming of being a fashion designer in New York, and then how she made it happen! Diane tells us the incredible story of how she found herself designing jeans for some of the most legendary musicians including Janice Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Cher and Rod Stewart, to name a few. We also hear how she got her start on the Home Shopping Network and the way that skyrocketed her career. Always one to believe in herself and back herself, Diane’s story really shows the power of having a positive attitude and putting yourself forward for opportunities. Diane opens up about her cancer diagnosis and the way her treatment transformed her life. You’ll want to hear the amazing story of Sheila and how she changed Diane’s outlook on life forever! We also talk to Diane about her thoughts on aging, why she’s loving it, and how she’s living her best life in her 80s and has no plans of slowing down or going out quietly. Diane is full of so much wisdom and great tips for getting the most out of life. Her energy and enthusiasm is infectious and we were so inspired speaking with her. We hope you have as much fun listening to this as we did! This episode is proudly supported by Montgomery Investment Management - https://investwith.montinvest.com/otbf, trusted experts helping you build and protect your financial future. For further information, please contact David Buckland, Chief Executive Officer or Rhodri Taylor, Account Manager on (02) 8046 5000 or [email protected] We’ve created a special offer for our Back Fence listeners to use at Positive Energy - https://positive-energy.com.au/. Listeners can get a 10 class pack for $150 (save $90) or 25% off an unlimited membership for 3 months. Use code: BACKFENCEPE to activate your special offer. Follow Nicola and Di on IG here -   / overthebackfencepodcast   Follow Diane on IG here -   / thedianegilman   Listen to Diane’s podcast Too Young To Be Old here - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Watch Diane’s YouTube channel here -    / @thedianegilman   Watch Over The Back Fence on YouTube here -    / @overthebackfencepodcast   Follow Positive Energy on IG here -   / positiveenergy_health_fitness   Timestamps 0:00 Welcome and Context 1:46 California Roots 4:18 Pursuing Fashion 9:01 Successes and Innovations 11:56 The Impact of Diagnosis 16:00 Breaking into Television Sales 19:46 Lessons Learned from Cancer 25:22 Understanding the Reality of Struggle 28:32 Attitude Towards Treatment 31:28 Encouraging Flourishing Over Surviving 35:04 Journey with Hair Loss 39:42 Advocacy for Aging Positively 41:36 Personal Reflections and Connections