Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Downsizing is rarely just about getting rid of stuff. It's about grief, family, identity and deciding what parts of a lifetime move into the next chapter. In this episode, we visit Next Step Treasures (instagram.com/nextstep_treasures/) , where Rose Rugama guides older adults through those deeply personal decisions every day. From finding new homes for treasured possessions to helping people avoid scams and preserve their independence, her work goes far beyond running a business. Along the way, we hear from clients whose lives have been changed by her work. We also talk to anthropologist Yohko Tsuji, who explains why Americans often struggle to embrace aging. Together, their stories reveal how the objects we leave behind preserve our memories. They also show why growing older deserves more dignity than our culture often allows.
Guests:
• Rose Rugama, owner of Next Step for Downsize Living (downsizingsd.com/) and Next Step Treasures
• Cambria Martinez, writer and thrift shopper
• Mia Rugama Kemp, Rose's daughter, who works at Next Step Treasures
• Lenny Brzezinski, Next Step client
• Yohko Tsuji (https://anthropology.cornell.edu/yohko-tsuji) , cultural anthropologist and Adjunct Professor of Anthropology at Cornell University
• Brianna De Los Santos, worker at Next Step Treasures
Sources:
• I'm Wearing Your Grandmother's Kitten Heels (cambriathefont.substack.com/p/im-wearing-your-grandmothers-kitten) (Cambria Martinez, Substack, 2025)
• Older Population and Aging (census.gov/topics/population/older-aging.html) (United States Census Bureau)
• Study identifies countries and states with greatest age biases (https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2020/11/ageism) (Caroline Brooks, MSU Today, 2020)
• Scammers stole more than $3.4 billion from older Americans last year, an FBI report says (apnews.com/article/older-people-fraud-fbi-report-c0da7899f667f9daace4926d5ff3f427) (Alanna Durkin Richer, AP News, 2024)
• Home Equity Theft Scams—An Old Problem Takes on New Forms (library.nclc.org/article/home-equity-theft-scams-old-problem-takes-new-forms) (Geoff Walsh and Sarah Bolling Mancini, National Consumer Law Center, 2026)
• CFPB Accuses Nation's Largest Reverse Mortgage Lender of Deceptive Marketing (investopedia.com/cfpb-accuses-nation-s-largest-reverse-mortgage-lender-of-deceptive-marketing-5205917) (Susan J. Wells, Investopedia, 2021)
• The Best Years of Your Life Are Probably Still Ahead (time.com/collections/future-of-living/7341848/laura-carstensen-aging-emotions-longevity-stanford/) (Angela Haupt, TIME, 2025)
• Everyday Ageism and Health (https://ihpi.umich.edu/national-poll-healthy-aging/national-findings/everyday-ageism-and-health) (Preeti Malani, M.D., M.S., M.S.J., Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation University of Michigan, 2020)
Downsizing is rarely just about getting rid of stuff. It's about grief, family, identity and deciding what parts of a lifetime move into the next chapter. In this episode, we visit Next Step Treasures (instagram.com/nextstep_treasures/) , where Rose Rugama guides older adults through those deeply personal decisions every day. From finding new homes for treasured possessions to helping people avoid scams and preserve their independence, her work goes far beyond running a business. Along the way, we hear from clients whose lives have been changed by her work. We also talk to anthropologist Yohko Tsuji, who explains why Americans often struggle to embrace aging. Together, their stories reveal how the objects we leave behind preserve our memories. They also show why growing older deserves more dignity than our culture often allows.
Guests:
• Rose Rugama, owner of Next Step for Downsize Living (downsizingsd.com/) and Next Step Treasures
• Cambria Martinez, writer and thrift shopper
• Mia Rugama Kemp, Rose's daughter, who works at Next Step Treasures
• Lenny Brzezinski, Next Step client
• Yohko Tsuji (https://anthropology.cornell.edu/yohko-tsuji) , cultural anthropologist and Adjunct Professor of Anthropology at Cornell University
• Brianna De Los Santos, worker at Next Step Treasures
Sources:
• I'm Wearing Your Grandmother's Kitten Heels (cambriathefont.substack.com/p/im-wearing-your-grandmothers-kitten) (Cambria Martinez, Substack, 2025)
• Older Population and Aging (census.gov/topics/population/older-aging.html) (United States Census Bureau)
• Study identifies countries and states with greatest age biases (https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2020/11/ageism) (Caroline Brooks, MSU Today, 2020)
• Scammers stole more than $3.4 billion from older Americans last year, an FBI report says (apnews.com/article/older-people-fraud-fbi-report-c0da7899f667f9daace4926d5ff3f427) (Alanna Durkin Richer, AP News, 2024)
• Home Equity Theft Scams—An Old Problem Takes on New Forms (library.nclc.org/article/home-equity-theft-scams-old-problem-takes-new-forms) (Geoff Walsh and Sarah Bolling Mancini, National Consumer Law Center, 2026)
• CFPB Accuses Nation's Largest Reverse Mortgage Lender of Deceptive Marketing (investopedia.com/cfpb-accuses-nation-s-largest-reverse-mortgage-lender-of-deceptive-marketing-5205917) (Susan J. Wells, Investopedia, 2021)
• The Best Years of Your Life Are Probably Still Ahead (time.com/collections/future-of-living/7341848/laura-carstensen-aging-emotions-longevity-stanford/) (Angela Haupt, TIME, 2025)
• Everyday Ageism and Health (https://ihpi.umich.edu/national-poll-healthy-aging/national-findings/everyday-ageism-and-health) (Preeti Malani, M.D., M.S., M.S.J., Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation University of Michigan, 2020)
