Épisodes

  • Women Over 40: From Whispers to Wings - How Asha, Rochelle and You Can Bloom After 40
    Jan 18 2026
    This is your Women Over 40 podcast.

    Welcome back to Women Over 40, where we celebrate the fierce fire that burns brighter with every year. I'm your host, and today we're diving straight into the heart of reinvention—pursuing those passions that have been whispering to you since your 20s. Listeners, if you're over 40, feeling that itch for something more, this episode is your permission slip to chase it.

    Picture this: you're standing at a crossroads, much like Asha Shinde from India. At 40, after years grinding as a costume design assistant in Mumbai, she felt her curiosity flicker out amid family pressures and societal whispers of settling down. But Asha listened to that inner spark. On a trip to Malaysia, she wandered into a horticulture exhibition—bonsais like tiny poems, terrariums holding miniature worlds. It ignited her. Back home, she revived her cousin's neglected nursery, Ashokvatika Nursery, experimenting with houseplants in coconut shells. She devoured YouTube tutorials from Japanese experts on plants and patience. Now, she's pitching sensory gardens and even exploring AI for plant care in business networking groups. As Asha says, her 40s are an exploration of creativity and compassion—she's nurturing herself like her plants, naysayers be damned.

    Or take Rochelle Potkar, the award-winning author and poet from India. In her 40s, she shed short-term anxieties for what she calls the macro-journey, becoming a journeywoman of words. After books and poetry, she's pitching movie and TV scripts with gusto, turning rejections into fuel. Her life, once a jigsaw puzzle, now feels like a patchwork quilt—beautifully imperfect and wholly hers.

    These aren't outliers. Vera Wang, after 15 years as a Vogue editor, launched her bridal empire at 40, passed over for editor-in-chief but fueled by a love for wedding gowns. Now in her 70s, her designs define luxury. Julia Child mastered French cooking in her 40s at Le Cordon Bleu, releasing Mastering the Art of French Cooking at 49, then starring in The French Chef in her 50s. Toni Morrison penned her first novel at 40. Ariana Huffington founded The Huffington Post at 55. And Angela Vassallo built and sold a seven-figure restaurant brand in her 40s, now a TEDx speaker calling midlife our greatest advantage—a metamorphosis through menopause into freedom.

    Data backs it: nearly 1.8 million U.S. women over 45 switched careers from 2019 to 2022, driven by burnout or passion. You're not starting from scratch; your wisdom is your superpower. So, grab that journal—list your strengths, what lights you up. Network on LinkedIn, learn on Coursera or Udemy. Start small: freelance, side hustle. Test those waters.

    Listeners, your 40s aren't decline—they're your bloom. That quiet whisper saying you're not done? It's right. Reinvent boldly, pursue those passions. You've earned this chapter.

    Thank you for tuning in to Women Over 40. Subscribe now for more empowerment. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.

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    3 min
  • Women Over 40: From Coconut Shells to Corner Offices - Real Stories of Midlife Reinvention
    Jan 17 2026
    This is your Women Over 40 podcast.

    # Women Over 40: Reinventing Your Life Podcast Episode

    Welcome to Women Over 40. I'm so glad you're here because today we're talking about something that challenges everything society tells us about aging. We're exploring reinvention after 40, and I promise you, the stories you're about to hear will change how you think about this chapter of your life.

    Let me start with someone named Asha Shinde. At 40, Asha felt trapped. Everyone around her was questioning why she hadn't settled down, why she wasn't following the traditional path society had laid out. But here's what she said that stuck with me: my life needed a reboot on my own terms. So she did something bold. She took over her cousin's abandoned family nursery and started experimenting. She grew small decorative houseplants inside coconut shells. It worked. What started as a quiet exploration became Ashokvatika Nursery, a thriving business. Today, Asha is presenting at business networking events, learning about sensory gardens and artificial intelligence for plant care. She went from feeling uninspired to following curiosity as her compass.

    Then there's Rochelle Potkar, an award-winning author and performance poet who made a profound shift in her 40s. She stopped thinking in short-term timeframes and embraced what she calls the journeywoman journey. This longer, winding road relieved her of anxieties she carried in her 30s. She doesn't fret rejections anymore. She's pitching screenplays with genuine confidence. What she discovered is that life doesn't have to feel like a jigsaw puzzle you're desperately trying to complete. It can feel like a patchwork quilt, beautiful in its complexity and composition.

    These aren't isolated stories. Consider Vera Wang, who launched her first bridal collection at age 40 with no design background. She had vision and fire in her belly, and now her name is practically synonymous with high-end bridal couture. Or Julia Child, who began studying at Le Cordon Bleu in her 40s and released her first cookbook at 49. When her television show The French Chef premiered, she was already in her 50s.

    The data backs this up too. Between 2019 and 2022, nearly 1.8 million women aged 45 and older made career changes in the United States alone. They cited reasons ranging from burnout to newfound passion. What's remarkable is that this reinvention is becoming increasingly common and successful.

    Here's what these women share: they stopped chasing the imagined ideal version of themselves. They survived enough to know what really matters. They leveraged the emotional intelligence, confidence, and creativity that actually peak during midlife. Your 40s aren't the beginning of decline. They're your greatest advantage.

    If you're listening and thinking about pivoting toward something you've always loved, something that calls to you in that quiet whisper within, this is your permission. Start small. Network. Learn new skills. Test the waters. Your age and experience aren't obstacles. They're your foundation.

    Thank you so much for tuning in to Women Over 40. Please subscribe so you never miss an episode. This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out quietplease dot ai.

    For more http://www.quietplease.ai


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    3 min
  • Women Over 40: Mumbai to Bonsai - How Curiosity Became Her Compass After Forty
    Jan 16 2026
    This is your Women Over 40 podcast.

    Welcome to Women Over 40, where we celebrate the power of reinvention and the incredible journeys of women who dared to start again.

    Here's what most of us weren't told growing up: your forties aren't about settling down and accepting what is. They're about breaking free and discovering what could be.

    Consider the story of a woman in Mumbai who spent her twenties and thirties trapped by expectations. She had moved to the city against her family's wishes, worked relentlessly as a costume design assistant, and built her independence dollar by dollar. But something was missing. As she entered her forties, a quiet panic began to surface. Everyone around her was asking why she hadn't married yet. Inside, she knew the real problem was deeper. She felt uninspired, as if her life needed a complete reboot on her own terms.

    Then came a trip to Malaysia that changed everything. At a horticulture exhibition, something awakened in her imagination. She saw bonsais arranged like poems in pots, terrariums holding miniature worlds, container gardens full of intelligent symmetry. For the first time in years, her curiosity reignited.

    She returned home and convinced her cousin to help revive their family nursery that had been nearly abandoned. Even on days when she felt stuck, she sat with her notebook among the plants, sketching her vision. Slowly, the magic returned. She began experimenting with decorative houseplants in coconut shells. Friends loved them. She taught herself Japanese gardening techniques through YouTube, learning about plants and patience in equal measure. Today, her business, Ashokvatika Nursery, thrives. She's joined business networking collectives, given presentations, and learned about sensory gardens and AI applications in plant care.

    Her discovery: curiosity became her compass, and she found her tribe of people who mirrored her vision instead of questioning her choices.

    Then there's Rochelle Potkar, an award-winning author and performance poet who experienced a profound shift in her forties. She describes entering what she calls the macro-journey, a longer, winding road of life that demanded not urgency, but perspective. She stopped thinking in short-run timeframes and became what she calls the journeywoman. This shift freed her from the anxieties that plagued her thirties. Rejections no longer deflated her. Small defeats no longer made her fret. She boldly pursued screenwriting alongside her published books because she finally understood that her life felt less like a jigsaw puzzle and more like a patchwork quilt.

    What both these women discovered is what research confirms: women over forty are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs globally. Women like Vera Wang, who became a fashion icon, Toni Morrison, who wrote her first novel at forty, and J.K. Rowling all reinvented themselves after forty. Harvard Business Review documented that more women are leaving traditional careers in midlife to pursue their passions and launch businesses at record rates.

    The truth listeners need to hear is this: your forties aren't a crisis. They're your greatest advantage. You've survived enough to know what matters. You've failed, grown, and tried again. You're no longer chasing some imagined version of yourself. You're finally living as your actual self.

    Your reinvention is waiting. Start today.

    Thank you for joining us on Women Over 40. Please subscribe and tune in next time for more stories of strength and transformation. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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    4 min
  • Blooming Late: Mumbai to Midlife Reinvention
    Jan 14 2026
    This is your Women Over 40 podcast.

    Imagine this: you're over 40, staring down the barrel of routines that no longer spark joy. The kids are launching, the career's plateaued, and society's whispering it's time to fade into the background. But what if I told you that's a lie? What if your 40s are your launchpad for the most vibrant chapter yet? Welcome to Women Over 40, where we celebrate the power of reinvention. I'm your host, and today, we're diving into pursuing new passions after 40—because midlife isn't a crisis; it's your greatest advantage.

    Let me take you to Mumbai, where Shinde, a tenacious woman in her 40s, faced relentless questions about why she hadn't "settled down." Family pressure mounted, curiosity dimmed, but she refused to shrink. Sitting amid her cousin's neglected nursery at Ashokvatika, notebook in hand, she rebooted on her terms. Inspired by a Malaysia horticulture exhibit—bonsais like tiny poems, terrariums holding worlds—she experimented with houseplants in coconut shells. YouTube tutorials from Japanese masters reignited her fire. Now, she's pitching sensory gardens and AI plant care in business networks, her tribe of like-minded women fueling her bloom. "I'm dedicated to nurturing myself like my plants," she says. Shinde proves curiosity is your compass—follow it, and watch independence flower.

    Across the ocean, Angela Vassallo built a seven-figure restaurant brand from a simple chicken shop dream with her husband. Hitting 50, menopause felt like a metamorphosis, not a meltdown. Harvard Business Review reports women over 40 are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs worldwide, ditching corporate chains for passion-driven ventures. Angela sold her empire, embracing her "anti-aging attitude" to step onto global stages, author The Second Wives’ Guide, and host Harmony in the Hustle. "Midlife is our freedom phase," she declares in her TEDx talk, The Midlife Advantage. Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez? Still slaying arenas, proving visibility is yours to claim.

    Then there's Rochelle Potkar, award-winning poet turned screenwriter. In her 40s, she shed short-term anxieties for the "macro-journey," pitching movie scripts with wild abandon. No more fear of rejection—her actual self unfurled playfully. And don't forget icons like Vera Wang, who pivoted to bridal empire fame post-40; Toni Morrison, penning her first novel at exactly 40; Julia Child, mastering French cuisine at 50; even J.K. Rowling, rising from welfare to wizardry wizard in her 40s.

    Listeners, these stories from The Better India, Elevate with Keri, and Heyday Coaching echo a truth: your 40s bridge the ideal self you chased with the powerful actual self you've become. Ditch the jigsaw puzzle life for a patchwork quilt of purpose. Start small—journal amid what calls you, like Shinde's plants or a professor who traded lecterns for coaching after scouring women's archives. Curiosity, resilience, community: your tools for reinvention.

    You've survived enough to know what lights you up. Pursue that passion now—travel, write, build, grow. You're not done; you're just getting started. Thank you for tuning in to Women Over 40. Subscribe for more empowerment, and remember: your best is blooming. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.

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    3 min
  • Women Over 40: Your Second Act Starts Now
    Jan 12 2026
    This is your Women Over 40 podcast.

    Welcome to Women Over 40, the podcast celebrating reinvention, courage, and the beautiful second acts of our lives. I'm your host, and today we're exploring something truly transformative: how to pursue new passions and reinvent yourself after 40.

    Let's start with a truth that echoes across countless lives. Sarah spent over 20 years climbing the corporate ladder in finance. She was respected, successful, exhausted. At 48, she made a bold decision. She pivoted from a demanding five-day leadership role into a four-day consultancy and carved out time to teach yoga, something she'd always loved but never allowed herself to pursue. Within six months, she had regained her energy and her weekends. When asked how she felt, Sarah said something powerful: I didn't just get a new job. I got my life back.

    Sarah's story isn't unique. It's part of a pattern we see again and again. Consider Aisha, who at 52 faced a company restructure that made her role redundant. Instead of panicking or settling for the first available position, she paused. She gave herself permission to reflect on what truly mattered. Over twelve weeks, she identified her real strengths and reconnected with a long-standing passion for nonprofit work. Today, Aisha runs a consultancy supporting charities and community organizations. She told us that losing her job felt like the end, but now she sees it was the beginning.

    Then there's Helen, who spent 25 years in the NHS. She was brilliant at her work, loved by colleagues, but felt invisible. She decided to set boundaries for the first time in her career, rediscover her creativity, and explore health innovation, something she'd always been curious about but never pursued. Helen's reflection captures something essential: I thought reinvention was for younger women. Now I realize it's for anyone brave enough to listen to themselves.

    What makes 40 and beyond such a powerful moment for reinvention? By this stage, you bring something younger versions of yourself never had: a depth of experience, genuine clarity about what you don't want anymore, and the courage to live on your terms. You've survived enough to know what really matters. You've made mistakes, learned from them, and developed wisdom that becomes your greatest asset.

    Authors like Toni Morrison wrote her first novel at 40. Fashion designer Vera Wang transformed into an icon after turning 40. Arianna Huffington founded The Huffington Post at 55. These weren't anomalies. They were women who finally gave themselves permission.

    The pattern across all these stories is consistent. First comes awareness, that quiet whisper saying I can't keep living like this. Then permission, allowing yourself to pause and imagine differently. Next is support and strategy, creating space to explore options and take action. Finally comes transformation, not always dramatic, but always meaningful. Energy returns. Confidence restores. Life gets reclaimed.

    Your 40s don't have to be a crisis. They can be a catalyst. This decade becomes less about proving yourself and more about aligning with purpose. It's when you start asking different questions: not what do I need to prove, but what do I want to contribute?

    Listeners, thank you for tuning in to Women Over 40. Please subscribe so you never miss an episode celebrating the remarkable women creating new chapters in their lives. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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    3 min
  • Rewriting Your Second Act: Why 40 Is Just the Opening Chapter
    Jan 11 2026
    This is your Women Over 40 podcast.

    Welcome to Women Over 40. Let’s skip the small talk and get right into what you came for: reinventing yourself after 40 and pursuing new passions.

    If you’re listening and thinking, “Is it too late for me to start over?” I want you to hear this clearly: it is not too late. Psychologists like Edward Higgins talk about the gap between who we are and who we think we should be. By our 40s, many of us are finally ready to close that gap and live as our actual selves, not the version the world scripted for us. This episode is your roadmap.

    First, let’s talk about proof that reinvention after 40 is real. Publisher and author Arianna Huffington founded The Huffington Post in her mid‑50s, long after most people said she’d already reached her peak. Fashion icon Vera Wang didn’t design her first wedding dress until around 40, after careers in figure skating and journalism. Nobel Prize–winning author Toni Morrison published her first novel at 40, then went on to change literature. Makeup artist Bobbi Brown launched a second mega‑brand, Jones Road, in her 60s after her non‑compete ended. Women are not winding down; they are redefining the starting line.

    But reinvention isn’t just for celebrities. Career coach Patricia Ezechie shares the story of Sarah, who left a high‑pressure finance career at 48, shifted to a four‑day consultancy, and made space to teach yoga. She didn’t just get a new job; she got her life back. Aisha, at 52, turned redundancy into an opportunity to build a consultancy for charities. She thought losing her job was the end. It was the beginning.

    So how do you start? Think of this episode as an outline for your own reinvention. First, awareness: notice the whisper, “I can’t keep living like this.” Maybe it’s Sunday dread, constant burnout, or the feeling you’re invisible in your own life. Second, permission: give yourself time to pause and ask, “What do I actually want next?” Many women over 40 find that passions they buried in their 20s and 30s—writing, design, wellness, activism, gardening, teaching—start knocking again.

    Next comes curiosity. A woman featured in The Better India discovered a passion for plants in her 40s, rebuilt a neglected family nursery called Ashokvatika Nursery, and turned it into a creative botanical business. She didn’t begin with a perfect plan. She began with experiments, questions, and the belief that her 40s could be about creativity and compassion, not just obligation.

    Then, take one aligned action. That might mean signing up for a night class in photography, finally starting that podcast, volunteering with an organization you care about, or talking to a coach about a career pivot. Many life coaches who specialize in midlife, like those at Heyday Coaching and Elevate with Keri, emphasize that your decades of experience are not baggage—they are leverage.

    As you reinvent, expect resistance. Family may ask why you’re “changing everything now.” Colleagues may not understand. Culture still tries to sell the idea that women over 40 should shrink. Your job is to do the opposite: expand. Your 40s and beyond can be the era where you design a life on your own terms, where your passions are not a side note but the headline.

    So as you listen today, ask yourself: if fear and age were not factors, what passion would you pursue in this next chapter? That question is the beginning of your outline. The rest of the episode—and the rest of your life—is about filling it in.

    Thank you for tuning in to Women Over 40. If this spoke to you, make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

    For more http://www.quietplease.ai


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    4 min
  • Launchpad Not Cliff: Your Blueprint for Reinvention After 40
    Jan 10 2026
    This is your Women Over 40 podcast.

    Welcome to Women Over 40. Let’s get right to it.

    Picture this episode as your blueprint for reinvention after 40. Not theory. Not fluff. A real outline for pursuing new passions when the world expects you to slow down.

    First, we open with truth-telling. I’m going to ask listeners one powerful question: “Who would you be if age, titles, and other people’s expectations disappeared for a moment?” From there, we dive immediately into the myth that life peaks in your thirties and then gently declines. According to psychologists who study midlife, emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and resilience actually tend to grow in our forties and fifties. That means this season is not a cliff; it’s a launchpad.

    Next, we move into redefining what reinvention really is. I’ll talk about reinvention as an evolution, not a total demolition of your life. A college professor who became a career and life coach in her fifties has written about how following her curiosity, mentoring students, and listening to her restlessness became the clues to her next chapter. We’ll use her story to show listeners how to mine their own lives for seeds of new passions hiding in plain sight.

    Then we spotlight women who bloomed later and louder. We’ll share how Toni Morrison published her first novel, “The Bluest Eye,” around age 40 while working full-time and raising children. We’ll talk about Vera Wang, who became a fashion icon after entering the bridal industry in her forties, and Arianna Huffington, who launched The Huffington Post in her fifties before founding Thrive Global. Each name is a reminder: starting “late” is still starting, and starting is what changes everything.

    From there, we pivot into the inner work. I’ll guide listeners through identifying the “shoulds” that have shaped their choices: the career they were supposed to stick with, the marriage or motherhood timelines they were supposed to meet, the idea that stability matters more than joy. We’ll explore how psychologists describe the gap between our “ideal” self and our actual self, and how our forties can be the decade we finally choose who we really are over who we were told to be.

    Then we get practical. I’ll outline a simple, compassionate framework for reinvention: notice, experiment, and integrate. Notice what lights you up now, not ten years ago. Experiment with tiny, low-risk steps: one class, one volunteer shift, one podcast, one business idea scribbled in a notebook. Integrate what works into your daily life, brick by brick, without waiting for anyone’s permission.

    We’ll close by inviting listeners to imagine their own “second act” and to claim one small action they will take this week toward a new passion. I’ll remind them that there is no expiration date on purpose, and that women over 40 are not winding down; we are rewriting the script.

    Thank you for tuning in to Women Over 40. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

    For more http://www.quietplease.ai


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    3 min
  • Women Over 40: Your Second Act Starts With Experience, Not Permission
    Jan 9 2026
    This is your Women Over 40 podcast.

    You’re listening to Women Over 40, and today we’re diving straight into reinventing yourself after 40 and pursuing new passions, not someday, but now.

    If you’re in your 40s or beyond, you’ve already survived heartbreaks, pivots, caregiving, careers that fit for a while and then didn’t. According to psychologist Edward Higgins, midlife is often when the gap between who you are and who you think you “should” be finally starts to close. This isn’t a crisis point. This is a catalyst.

    So let’s outline today’s journey together. First, we’re going to rewrite the story of age. Then we’ll explore how to find your next passion, how to experiment without burning your life down, and finally, how to commit to your “second act” with courage and support.

    Let’s start with rewriting the story. Culture tells women that by 40, the big moves are behind us. Yet real women keep proving the opposite. Author Toni Morrison published her first novel at 40. Fashion icon Vera Wang entered the bridal industry at 40 after being a figure skater and a journalist. Arianna Huffington launched The Huffington Post at 55 and later founded Thrive Global in her 60s to tackle burnout. These women are not exceptions because of age; they are examples of what happens when experience, clarity, and courage finally meet.

    Next, how do you find a new passion when you feel stuck or exhausted? Start with curiosity, not pressure. Life coach and writer Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, who has studied midlife reinvention, calls this phase a “second adulthood,” a time to ask different questions: not “What do I need to prove?” but “What do I want to contribute?” Notice what lights you up when you’re not “performing” for anyone: the topics you lose time researching, the causes that make you angry in a good, motivated way, the hobbies you abandoned because life got busy.

    Now we move into experimenting. Think of this as your lab phase. If you’re curious about teaching yoga, start with a weekend workshop. If you’re drawn to writing, commit to 20 minutes a day or join a local writing group. The Better India recently shared the story of Shinde, who rebuilt her life in her 40s by reviving a nearly abandoned family plant nursery in Mumbai, experimenting with tiny decorative houseplants grown in coconut shells. She didn’t start with a five-year plan; she started with an experiment and let curiosity lead her forward.

    Then comes designing your second act. According to More magazine, which focuses on women over 40, reinvention is often about combining what you already know with what you now want. A longtime professor highlighted by Heyday Coaching used her favorite part of her job—mentoring students—to reinvent herself as a personal and career coach in midlife. You don’t have to throw away your past. You can recycle your skills, relationships, and hard-won wisdom into something that feels new.

    Support is the final pillar. Research and countless coaching stories show women over 40 succeed in new ventures because of confidence, experience, and resilience, not in spite of their age. Find your tribe: a mastermind for new business owners, a writers’ circle, a hiking group, a local art class. Community keeps you accountable when fear whispers that you’re too old or too late.

    As we close, I want you to remember this: you are not starting from scratch, you are starting from experience. Your 40s and beyond can be the decade you stop auditioning for everyone else’s life and start fully inhabiting your own.

    Thank you for tuning in to Women Over 40. If this episode spoke to you, make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss what’s coming next.

    This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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    4 min
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