Midlife & Beyond with Jo Blackwell

Menopause, hormones, and women’s health are often misunderstood. In this episode, I’m joined by Kate Magic, author of The Empowered Woman. We talk about perimenopause, post-menopause, the limits of modern wellness advice, and why this stage of life can be a powerful turning point for women over 50. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com

Planning for ageing, dementia, and independence. A practical, honest conversation about caring for parents, early warning signs, and preparing for later life.Connect with Vicki on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AgingOnYourTerms This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com

Is it possible to start a successful business after 50?In this episode, Jo Blackwell speaks with Janis Doherty, who launched a creative venture in her late fifties after breast cancer and the pandemic prompted her to rethink what came next. What began as a small experiment making garden gnomes has grown into a thriving local business running creative events across her community. Gnome and GardenA conversation about midlife reinvention, creativity after 50, and why it’s never too late to start something new. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com

In this episode, Jo Blackwell talks with marketing mentor Kaye King, who trained as a swimming instructor at age 61. They discuss learning new skills later in life, overcoming self-doubt, the benefits of open-water swimming, and why it’s never too late to start something new. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com

Midlife transformation rarely follows a tidy plan. In this conversation, Jo Blackwell talks with Karen Skidmore about leaving a 21-year career, navigating the “messy middle” of menopause and identity change, and learning to trust the unexpected paths that open when we finally let go. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com

What happens when redundancy hits in midlife — just as you’re already questioning who you are and what you want next?In this episode of Midlife & Beyond with Jo Blackwell, I’m joined by author Sara King, who was made redundant at 54 after more than a decade in a senior role. Sara shares the shock of losing her job, the fear of being the main breadwinner, and the quieter grief of losing a professional identity later in life.We talk about age, experience, perimenopause, freelancing after redundancy, and why reinvention in midlife is rarely quick or straightforward. Sara also reflects on writing and publishing her debut novel, Fragments of Her, and what it really means to put your work into the world after 50.A thoughtful, reassuring conversation about change, courage, and beginning again.https://amzn.to/4s12jU5(Amazon affiliate link - if you buy through this link I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com

Vicky Payne, Jo’s guest on this podcast, created an online book-club for women of all ages to read and discuss self-help and motivational books that we normally tend to read, then leave to gather dust on the shelf without taking action!Why self-help books chosen with women in mind? Vicky says the self-help world is very “bro-centric”, which doesn’t always fit with women’s view of the world, or their energy cycles.Though marketed as a book club for entrepreneurial women, women of all ages are welcome, whether working or not.The Level-up Book Club: https://levelupbookclub.co.uk/join This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com

Your breath is like a remote control for your nervous system, and you have far more control over it than you think.In this episode, Sam Adams explains why breathwork isn’t about doing something fancy or ‘woo’, but about learning how to signal safety to your body, especially in midlife, when stress, sleep disruption, pain and anxiety can quietly take hold.From grief and trauma to menopause, chronic pain and brain health, we explore how conscious breathing can help us regulate our nervous systems, think more clearly, sleep more deeply, and feel more at ease in ourselves.A calm, compassionate conversation about remembering something ancient - and learning to breathe again. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com

If you’re on a diet this year, there’s one thing I really want you to hear - and I’m going to say it straight away in this solo episode, not save it for the end.If you’re dieting, you must start weight training.So many of us have been dieting for decades. We’ve slowed our metabolism, lost muscle along the way, and denied our bodies the nutrients they actually need, all in the pursuit of being slimmer. But as we get older, hormones change the rules, and quick-fix diets stop working the way they once did.Strength training isn’t about bulking up. It’s about protecting your bones, your muscles, your independence - and your future self.Focus on strength this year, whether you're dieting or not. Your older body will thank you for it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com

Many of us, particularly sensitive, creative, or neurodivergent women, have spent decades pushing through overwhelm without understanding what our bodies were trying to tell us.In this conversation, Peggy Cheyo explains how somatic practices, like gentle movement, dance, and embodied awareness can help regulate the nervous system without forcing insight or reliving trauma. Instead of analysing, we allow the body to lead, and often, something shifts.As I share in the episode, my own resistance to somatic movement gave way to an unexpected emotional release, a reminder that when we stop living only in our heads and begin listening to our bodies, healing can happen in quiet, surprising ways.This episode is an invitation to soften, to listen, and to explore what might help you feel safer, calmer, and more at home in yourself, especially in midlife and beyond. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com

We've been lied to about ageing. In this video, I'm busting myths about ageing that we've been fed for far too long. From the belief that decline is inevitable to the idea that you can't lose weight, learn new things, or have a love life after 50—none of it is the full truth. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com

Have you ever looked around and thought, "Is this it?" That’s exactly how I felt in my late 40s. After years of parenting and putting my own dreams on hold, I hit a point where I felt like I’d lost my confidence, my identity — even my purpose. But I also discovered that it’s never too late to change direction. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com

As Albert Einstein said, “Logic will get you from A to B, but imagination will get you anywhere.”In this reflective solo episode, Jo shares the remarkable story of her grandfather’s survival in World War II and explores how imagination can sustain us through even the darkest times. She invites you to rekindle your own creative spirit - to dream again, to hope again - and to remember that imagination isn’t childish. It’s powerful, healing, and essential to thriving in midlife and beyond. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com