How To Build Community

In this episode, we meet Dutch documentary filmmaker Corinne van der Borch and Australian artist-animator Edwina White — two women in the second half of life who turned a dog park friendship into a creative partnership, and a Brooklyn crossing guard into the subject of their upcoming documentary, I Got You. For any woman navigating midlife reinvention, this conversation is a masterclass in starting hyperlocal, accepting help gracefully, and doing meaningful work even when the ground is shifting beneath you.You'll hear how these two collaborators built a community-funded project from the ground up — no big studio, no safety net — while each navigating their own personal upheaval. This is a midlife career pivot story, a creative courage story, and above all, a story about what happens when we pay close attention to the people right in front of us.Miss T, the Bed-Stuy crossing guard at the center of the documentary, is herself a remarkable woman: a foster care survivor who has built a neighborhood family out of loose ties, birthday cards, and epic twice-yearly dinner parties. Her philosophy — generous with love, selective with energy — is something every woman over 40 can carry with them.What You'll Learn:How to start a meaningful creative project in midlife with limited resources — Corinne and Edwina's model of community-funded, in-kind collaborationWhy hyperlocal impact matters for women over 40 seeking purpose — and how Miss T's corner became the center of a whole neighborhood's resilienceHow to convert loose social ties into real community — the skill that defines Miss T's life and that any woman in midlife can practiceBuilding creative partnerships in the second half of life — what made this dog-park friendship into a genuine collaborationAsking for help and receiving it — especially for women over 40 who have been conditioned to go it aloneThe courage to share work publicly before it's finished — and how visibility creates the support you didn't know was comingKey Timestamps:0:00 - Introduction & Join the Tryb sponsor message 1:30 - Welcome to The Uplifters & introduction of Corinne and Edwina 2:45 - Who is Miss T? The Bed-Stuy crossing guard who changes everything 6:30 - How Miss T hosts community dinner parties and builds neighborhood family 9:00 - Loose ties vs. strong ties — and what Miss T teaches us about connection 10:30 - Miss T's philosophy: open-hearted but selective with energy 14:00 - What it means to show up with presence vs. resources 15:00 - Edwina's personal journey: navigating divorce and upheaval during filming 17:00 - How the corner became a refuge — and how the collaboration began 19:30 - The dog park meeting and Sesame Street connection 22:00 - The multimedia vision: animation, drone footage, and mixed-media storytelling 26:00 - The snowball effect: how community support found I Got You 31:00 - Three lessons for doing big, brave things: start local, share openly, accept help 34:00 - How to support the documentary — GoFundMe and skills-based contributions 37:00 - Nominating the next Uplifter: a filmmaker working on a bell hooks documentaryKey Takeaways:For midlife women starting creative projects: You don't need a big platform or big budget — you need one honest story and the willingness to tell it in publicFor women over 40 seeking community: Miss T shows us that connection is a daily practice, not a grand gesture; it's the birthday card, the emoji, the remembered nameFor midlife career changers and collaborators: The right creative partner might be walking their dog twenty feet away — and the project that heals you might also be the one that matters most to your communityFeatured Quote:"It's really easy to fall into the trap of thinking, I don't have enough — and this is a woman who shows us that you just need yourself and the moment you're in to be present and connect in order to have tremendous impact for generations." — Aransas SavasResources & Links:Support the documentary: GoFundMe — I Got YouCorinne's film Sisters on Track — available on NetflixRelated episodes: Gina Hamadey on gratitude and connection | Alison Mariella Désir on building community | Cleyvis Natera on creative courageAbout the Guests:Dutch documentary filmmaker Corinne van der Borch (Sisters on Track, Netflix) and Australian artist-animator Edwina White are midlife creative collaborators whose work spans documentary film, animation, Sesame Street, and now I Got You — a short documentary about Miss T, the Brooklyn crossing guard who became the heartbeat of her Bed-Stuy neighborhood. Both women are in the second half of their careers, making work that centers community, connection, and the quiet heroism of everyday people.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_savasPodcast Instagram: @the_uplifters_podcastTikTok: @theuplifterspodcastFacebook: Aransas SavasWebsite: theuplifterspodcast.comYouTube: @theuplifterspodcastLinkedIn: Aransas SavasKeywords:midlife reinvention women, women over 40 creative careers, second act career women, midlife community building, women over 40 starting over, midlife purpose women, women 40s new career, midlife transition women, second half of life women, inspiring women over 40, midlife collaboration, women entrepreneurs over 40, midlife awakening women, midlife courage capital, midlife dreams women, 40+ women creative projects, women over 40 success stories, midlife glow up, community connection midlife, women changing careers 40s Get full access to The Uplifters at www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe