Flourish After Fifty

In this episode, I talk with Kathy Wood, a former Relationships Australia leader who resigned just before she turned 70 and is now consciously “living into later” on her own terms.Kathy shares how a long-planned trip to the UK, becoming a hands-on grandmother, and her love of structure helped her navigate the profound identity shift of leaving a 15–year role without “retiring” from purpose, growth or contribution.She describes experimenting with new roles and interests – from learning the cello again to volunteering on an ethics helpline and writing her Substack, Purposeful Transitions: Living into Later – while also making room for unstructured days, deeper self‑reflection and an ever‑present awareness of time feeling more finite.Along the way, Kathy challenges ageist assumptions about women over 50 and over 70, and offers a hopeful, grounded picture of this phase as one of opportunity, adventure and preciousness rather than winding down.Key topicsFinishing well: planning her exit after 15 years at Relationships Australia, including part‑time leadership, succession planning and leaving with strong relationships intact.Why she says she “resigned, not retired” and how language shapes our expectations and assumptions about life after full‑time work.Creating a meaningful “next phase” through grandparenting, volunteering, mentoring and taking up the cello again as a stretch and a joy.Learning to live with less structure, noticing discomfort on “empty” days and experimenting with new rhythms rather than recreating work‑style busyness.The growing awareness of time as finite in her 70s, and how that fuels both urgency and gratitude for everyday opportunities and relationships.Starting her Substack Purposeful Transitions: Living into Later as a space to reflect on inner transitions, purpose, contribution and being a role model for women coming behind her.Keywords: retirement, life after work, purpose, aging, personal growth, transition, women over 50, life stages, self-knowledgeGuest: Kathy Wood.Kathy on Substack: https://substack.com/@kathywood185085Kathy’s Blog: https://kathywood185085.substack.com/p/purposefult-transitions-living-intoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathy-wood-a7a684326/A message from Sue:This episode, alongside Episode 13, is the topic for the Flourish After Fifty Circle in July 2026. Join a group of curious who are exploring what life after fifty can be for them.Find out more here: https://www.flourishafterfifty.com.au/flourish-after-fifty-circleGet in touch: https://www.flourishafterfifty.com.au/contact-usSign up for weekly insights and bite-sized advice: http://www.flourishafterfifty.com.au/newsletter️

Most of us have a someday list. A version of ourselves we keep putting off until we feel more ready, more confident, or just a little less afraid. Kim Payne has spent years listening to women’s stories of change and learning what happens when women stop waiting for someday — and choose to act with courage instead.In this special crossover episode — published on both the Flourish After Fifty and Courageous ME podcast feeds — I turn the microphone around. After more than 140 episodes of being the interviewer, Kim steps into the guest chair and shares her own story with raw honesty and warmth.This is a conversation that sits right at the very intersection of courage, midlife, and what it means to write your next chapter on your terms. Grab your metaphorical pink ‘pom pom’. This one's worth celebrating. My guest in this episode was:Kim Payne, keynote speaker, business mentor, podcast host and author: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimpayne9rok/Website: https://kimpayne.com.au/Courageous Me podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/courageous-me/id1689742406The Courageous ME podcast episode featuring me, Sue West: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/54-the-power-of-reinvention-to-flourish-in-mid-life/id1689742406?i=1000657153376Book: Courageous Me: The Courage to Turn Someday into Today: https://kimpayne.com.au/bookA message from SueI support women over fifty who feel stuck and ready for what’s next to rediscover who they are, clarify their next chapter, and create a life that truly feels like their own.If you’re looking for support, you can work with me through:Coaching: for women who want one‑on‑one support to go deep on a specific crossroads and move from feeling stuck to taking clear, confident action.Life On Your Terms: a six‑week small‑group program for women who know something needs to change and are ready to map out what comes next.The Flourish After Fifty Circle: a monthly online discussion group for women who love big ideas and want thoughtful, nourishing conversations as they navigate this stage of life.Find out more here: https://www.flourishafterfifty.com.au/Sign up for weekly insights and bite-sized advice: https://www.flourishafterfifty.com.au/newsletter

As life shifts in midlife—through career changes, new chapters, changing bodies or the end of long relationships—it’s easy to find that your clothes no longer feel like you. In this episode of Flourish After 50, Sue West talks with personal stylist and Style Rises founder, Lucy Owens, about what it means to dress for the woman you’re becoming, not the one you used to be.Lucy shares her own journey from corporate leadership in Melbourne to running a global styling business from Spain, and how style became a tool for confidence, presence and self‑expression rather than just “looking put together.” Together, she and Sue explore simple, compassionate ways to realign your style with who you are now—starting with a few words that describe how you want to show up and one small visible change that shifts how you feel in your own skin.Also covered in this episode:How midlife transitions (career shifts, relationship changes, menopause) can leave your style out of sync with who you are now.Why “I have nothing to wear” is often really “I don’t see myself in my clothes anymore.”Simple starting points to realign your style.How treating style as self‑expression and self‑respect can boost confidence, presence, and a sense of being truly seen after 50.About Lucy Owens:Lucy is a leading Personal Stylist and Image Consultant. With a background in senior corporate roles, including luxury fashion and hospitality brands, Lucy intimately understands the challenges women face when it comes to dressing with both authenticity and authority. Through her proven framework, she helps clients develop a signature style that aligns with their personal brand, boosts their confidence, and supports their leadership presence, so they not only look like leaders but feel like leaders.BioStyle Archetype QuizWebsite -www.stylerises.comMillion Dollar Style ProgramA note from Sue West, host of Flourish After Fifty and coach for women navigating career and life transitions.What If You Could...✔ Feel clear about what matters most to you in this next stage of life?✔ Discover a renewed sense of purpose that excites you every day?✔ Build meaningful connections and a community that supports your growth?✔ Confidently take action toward creating a life that feels authentic and fulfilling?It’s all possible - and I’m here to help you make it happen.Get in touch http://www.flourishafterfifty.com.auSign up for weekly insights and advice for incredible women like you http://www.flourishafterfifty.com.au/newsletter

Raised on a remote Australian farm, Heather Cameron has lived through droughts, domestic violence, and reinvention. Her bestselling trilogy 'Never Underestimate a Woman' tells a story of courage and transformation. Heather shares how she found her voice and reclaimed her power - and she's now helping other women do the same.Guest: Heather Cameron, author of 'Never Underestimate a Woman'Lower Lila Retreat www.lowerlilaretreat.com.au* * * * *A note from Sue West, host of Flourish After Fifty.What If You Could...✔ Feel clear about what matters most to you in this next stage of life?✔ Discover a renewed sense of purpose that excites you every day?✔ Build meaningful connections and a community that supports your growth?✔ Confidently take action toward creating a life that feels authentic and fulfilling?It’s all possible - and I’m here to help you make it happen.Get in touch www.flourishafterfifty.com.auSign up for weekly insights and advice for incredible women like you www.flourishafterfifty.com.au/newsletter

In this bonus episode, Melissa Braden shares what it was really like to walk away from a big public service career after twenty‑five years in senior roles. In her mid‑50s, she accepted an early retirement package and stepped into the unknown. Eighteen months on, she talks about the wobbles, the wins and the identity shift that followed – and how, beyond all of that, she has created more choice, deeper community and plenty of “me‑me time” in this new chapter. A note from Sue West, host of Flourish After Fifty. What If You Could… ✔ Feel clear about what matters most to you in this next stage of life? ✔ Discover a renewed sense of purpose that excites you every day? ✔ Build meaningful connections and a community that supports your growth? ✔ Confidently take action toward creating a life that feels authentic and fulfilling? It’s all possible - and I’m here to help you make it happen. Get in touch www.flourishafterfifty.com.au Sign up for the Flourish After Fifty newsletter Weekly insights and advice for incredible women like you. www.flourishafterfifty.com.au/newsletter

Whether you’re navigating an empty nest, rethinking your career, or simply facing a season of change, life after fifty is full of pivotal moments. In this episode, Kari Cardinale of the Modern Elder Academy offers a roadmap for embracing what’s next with clarity and intention. She explains the idea of “transitional intelligence” or TQ, and shares empowering strategies so you can meet transitions with curiosity and actively design a future that excites you. Guest: Kari Cardinale, The Modern Elder Academy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kari-cardinale/ Modern Elder Academy: https://www.meawisdom.com/ An Alternative to the “Midlife Crisis” (Chip Conley | TED) www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYDVJTPwGHE Measuring what makes life worthwhile (Chip Conley | TED) www.youtube.com/watch?v=UROCz70tlMY * * * * * A note from Sue West, host of Flourish After Fifty. What If You Could… ✔ Feel clear about what matters most to you in this next stage of life? ✔ Discover a renewed sense of purpose that excites you every day? ✔ Build meaningful connections and a community that supports your growth? ✔ Confidently take action toward creating a life that feels authentic and fulfilling? It’s all possible - and I’m here to help you make it happen. Get in touch www.flourishafterfifty.com.au Sign up for weekly insights and advice for incredible women like you www.flourishafterfifty.com.au/newsletter

After twenty years of marriage, ABC broadcaster Hilary Harper found herself single - and curious about dating again. Her hit ABC podcast Dated: Love Online After 50 explores what happens when midlife meets modern romance. Hilary talks candidly about fear, discovery, and finding love again, offering hope and humour for anyone thinking it might be “too late.” Guest: Hilary Harper, ABC Radio National "Dated: Love Online After 50" (ABC) "Love Matters: Heartwarming stories of finding love from the former host of the ABC radio show Life Matters" (Forthcoming book) * * * * * A note from Sue West, host of Flourish After Fifty. What If You Could… ✔ Feel clear about what matters most to you in this next stage of life? ✔ Discover a renewed sense of purpose that excites you every day? ✔ Build meaningful connections and a community that supports your growth? ✔ Confidently take action toward creating a life that feels authentic and fulfilling? It’s all possible - and I’m here to help you make it happen. Get in touch www.flourishafterfifty.com.au Sign up for weekly insights and advice for incredible women like you www.flourishafterfifty.com.au/newsletter

Are you over 50 years of age and asking, "What do I want for myself now? Is there something more, beyond work, beyond family?" These days our years after 50 are not about winding down, they're about breaking out! Breaking out of limiting beliefs and habits, and embracing the road ahead as a time of reinvention. Let's start this journey together.