Reinventing Work in Midlife: An Exclusive Conversation with Lean In NYC

We recently had the privilege of sitting down with the amazing Debra Albert of Lean In NYC for an exclusive conversation about women, work, and reinvention in midlife. It’s a topic close to our hearts, not just because of the women we work with every day, but because it’s our own story too.

At EvolveMe, we know midlife can be a real crossroads. Women ask, “Is this it? Is there more for me?” They may be managing careers, caregiving, or life transitions and feeling stuck, invisible, or restless.

That’s exactly where we once found ourselves. Judy pivoted from the nonprofit sector, and Linda transitioned after a caregiving break from her finance career. Out of our lived experience, we created EvolveMe, a platform and community to help midlife women take charge of their careers with confidence and clarity.

Six years later, we’ve led 11 cohorts of our Reinvention Collective and worked with thousands of women through programs with individuals and companies. The lesson is clear: midlife isn’t a dead end, it’s a launchpad.

Why midlife is the perfect time to reinvent

Midlife women bring perspective, resilience, and “power skills” like communication, adaptability, and problem-solving that set them apart. The challenge is seeing these strengths in a new light and telling a future-focused career story.

Why inner work comes first

Too often, women rush to polish their résumés or LinkedIn profiles. But without clarity, they risk building a story for their past self instead of their future self. That’s why our DARE framework—Discover, Amplify, Rebuild, Evolve—starts with reflection. When women know their values and strengths, they can create careers that truly align with them.

Tanya’s story

When Tanya started her career in marketing, it was a different world: print, radio, TV, newspapers, and magazines. Fast-forward a decade, and everything had gone digital. After taking time away to raise her family, she worried there wasn’t a place for her anymore.

Through EvolveMe’s Reinvention Collective, Tanya found the confidence and the community to move forward. With encouragement from her cohort, she experimented with short-term, project-based work to retool and rebuild her confidence.

She quickly realized that her core marketing instincts were still strong and that her time away had actually deepened her creativity and perspective. As she learned new digital tools and strategies, she discovered something powerful: reinvention wasn’t about starting over, it was about evolving forward.

Today, Tanya is thriving in a brand strategy role where she blends her classic marketing expertise with modern digital insight.

As we shared with Debra, you’re not starting from zero—you’re starting from experience. With the right mindset, clarity, and tools, midlife can be the most exciting chapter yet.

🎧 Listen to the full conversation HERE

💡 Ready to explore what’s next? Download our free Get Going Guide to jumpstart your own next chapter!