Ep1 Ros McMaster & Cate Shaw

Come and meet Cate and I... your podcast hosts, on a more personal level.

Both very spiritual, Ros McMaster and Cate Shaw met at a mediumship development workshop around 15years ago and became instant friends. While comparing our beauty routines over coffee, Cate and I realised how very differently we approached this second stage of life, and so the idea for Ironing Out the Wrinkles podcast came about.  Originally thinking it would be some lighthearted fun, we soon discovered there was a world-wide movement taking place to stamp out agism, and we were about to be part of something bigger. Our chance to make a difference.

The opportunity to get the podcast off the ground arrived when my last child finally flew from the nest. Or did I push him? I can’t quite recall.  Leaning his old mattress against the windows, a soundproof recording studio was created, and Ironing Out the Wrinkles came to life in the bedroom of my humble home in the backstreets of suburbia.

After interviewing us on his 4BC morning radio program, Spencer Howson commented “I’m loving the Yin Yang vibe you two have going”.  It was a playful description of just how wonderfully different Cate and I are. It means wherever you’re at on your journey through aging, between the two of us, we can relate.

Cate, approaching 70, is an actor and vocalist, is quietly spoken and reserved. Married for 48yrs, she’s passionate about 'giving back', donating her time and talent to fundraising events supporting homelessness, and previously assisting cancer patients following surgery.  At 59 she was herself diagnosed with breast cancer.  

In stark contrast, I'm upbeat, positive, and unapologetically loud.  Now 61, I recently found myself single, only this time, I was putting myself out there with wrinkles and arthritis. Diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer in 2016, every day of getting older is seen as a blessing for me. Being a counsellor with a psychology degree, means every challenge is viewed as an opportunity for self-growth - I even wrote a self-help memoir about my journey.... "From Shadows to Light". You can read a chapter here https://www.rosmcmaster.com/fromshadowstolight

Cate's Website : https://www.cate.net.au/