Welcome to Milestone Moments, the show where
we explore the journeys that lead to success.
I'm Sheila Slick, your host and founder of Five
Milestones. In every episode, we will bring you
insights from the minds of entrepreneurs, leaders
and experts who will share not just their expertise,
but the milestone moments that have reshaped
their journeys and led to significant achievements.
So if you're looking for motivation, you're in
the right place. Subscribe now and discover the
milestones that mark the path to success. Welcome
to another episode of Milestone Moments in Business
and Leadership. I'm Sheila Slick, your host,
and today I want to talk about something that
is personal yet universally relevant. And that's
the journey of reinvention that many women face
in midlife. Whether you're navigating an emptiness,
considering a career pivot, recovering from a
major life change, or simply feeling that inner
nudge that it's time for something new, this
episode is just for you. I've been speaking with
so many incredible women who share that same
feeling, that society has a blind spot for women
in midlife. After building careers, raising families,
and managing households, they suddenly find themselves
asking, what now? And the message often seems
to be that our most valuable contributions are
perhaps behind us. But I'm here to tell you today
that this shift isn't the end of your story.
It's the beginning of your most authentic chapter.
And that's exactly why I've created my upcoming
Spring Renewal Discover Your Next Chapter workshop
to provide women with practical tools and guidance
for navigating this important transition. There
is something that happens when women reach midlife
that isn't talked about enough. It's what I call
the invisible transition, that moment when society
seems to shift its gaze away from us, right when
we're entering what could be our most powerful
years. And the statistics tell an interesting
story. Research shows that women over 45 are
less visible in media representations, but are
becoming entrepreneurs, pivoting careers, and
embracing new challenges. A study from the Kauffman
Foundation found that women over 55 are twice
as likely as men to launch successful businesses.
Yet the narrative around women in midlife often
focuses on what we're losing rather than what
we're gaining. Wisdom, clarity, confidence, and
purpose. At the heart of any successful transition
is self -leadership. Now, you may be asking,
well, what do I mean by self -leadership? Because
normally when we talk about leadership, we're
talking about organizations and leading others.
Self -leadership is the ability to guide yourself
with intention to direct your thoughts, your
emotions, and your actions towards your own chosen
path. Think of it like being the CEO of your
own life. And during life transitions, Self -leadership
becomes even more important because external
guidance is often limited, and there's no roadmap
for reinvention, no clear path forward, and that's
why you need to be your own guide. In my upcoming
Spring Renewal Discover Your Next Chapter workshop,
we're going to explore the five steps of self
-leadership that can serve as your compass during
times of transition. And of these five steps,
self -awareness must come first. You can't create
a meaningful new chapter without first understanding
who you are beyond the roles that you've played.
And this might sound simple, but so many women
I've worked with realize that they have spent
decades defining themselves through others' needs
and expectations. And the question, what do I
want, can feel almost foreign after years of
asking, what do you need? One of the most challenging
aspects of reinvention is navigating these identity
shifts. Our identities become so intertwined
with our roles, mother, professional, caregiver,
partner, that when those roles change, we can
feel adrift, confused. And this is especially
true for women who have dedicated significant
portions of their lives to caring for others.
Today, I'd like to share some powerful reflection
questions that can help you navigate identity
shifts and discover what's next for you. You
can ask yourself, what are my core values today?
And how have they changed? How have they evolved?
What legacy do I want to create in this next
chapter? What am I passionate about that I haven't
made time for? What fears are holding me back
from stepping fully into my next phase? What
skills and experiences from my past can serve
as a foundation for my future? Don't rush your
answers when you're thinking about these questions.
Sit with each question and notice what emerges.
Not just the logical responses, but the ones
that create a feeling of excitement or possibility.
These questions help recognize what you need
to let go of to make space for growth. Because
here's the truth, it requires both letting go
and building anew. You can't step into a new
identity while clinging tightly to the outdated
version of yourself. And this exercise is similar
to the reflective work I'll be guiding women
through my upcoming Spring Renewal Workshop,
where participants will get to disconnect from
their daily demands and reconnect with their
authentic selves. Now, of course, the path of
reinvention isn't without its challenges. Women
in midlife face unique obstacles when embracing
change. And some of those common challenges are
self -doubt, outdated skills, financial concerns,
and lack of support. I'm always so inspired by
the women I meet who have successfully navigated
these transitions. Women like Jennifer, who started
her consulting business at 52 after 25 years
in corporate America. Or Jennifer, who just returned
to school at the age of 62 to pursue a completely
different career path. These women didn't have
it all figured out when they started. They simply
took one step and then another, guided by self
-leadership principles and a vision of what could
be possible. As we wrap up today's episode, I
want to remind you that reinvention isn't about
erasing who you've been. It's about honoring
that journey while consciously choosing who you
want to become next. If what I've shared today
resonates with you, I invite you to join me at
my upcoming Spring Renewal Discover Your Next
Chapter workshop. It's a powerful 60 -minute
session designed specifically for women navigating
these midlife transitions who refuse to be sidelined.
And in this intimate workshop, you'll uncover
hidden strengths that you've overlooked and you'll
leave with one clear action step to create immediate
momentum. And you'll also get a chance to connect
with other women that are facing similar crossroads.
Your experience is not outdated. It's your greatest
asset for what comes next. You can find all of
the details on my website at SheilaSlick .com.
or you can look in the description and I will
leave the link to register. Remember, your next
chapter isn't about starting over. It's about
leveraging everything you've learned and experienced
to create something even more authentic and fulfilling.
The woman you've been has given you the wisdom,
the strength, and the resilience to become the
woman you're meant to be. This is Sheila Slick
reminding you that it's never too late to discover
your next chapter. Thank you for listening. Until
next time, keep growing, keep leading, and keep
moving forward. The best is yet to come.