There’s a moment that arrives for many women around this stage of life, and for me, it came when I turned 50.

From the outside, I was living the dream.

I was in a great CEO role. I had autonomy, working in a mission-driven environment, and there was plenty of opportunity. It was a role I had earned, and one I was good at.

Underneath all of that though, something wasn’t quite right.

And, if I’m honest, I was a tiny bit bored.

When “the dream role” stops stretching you

It wasn’t dissatisfaction. It was something more subtle than that.

I had outgrown the opportunity.

I could feel it in the way I was working, the decisions I was making, and operating on autopilot. I knew I had more to offer, more impact to create, more leadership in me that wasn’t being fully used.

But I was busy. Girl I was busy! 

Delivering, leading, solving, responding and grinding out more.

And when you’re operating at that pace, there’s very little space to step back and ask the bigger question.

What do I actually want next?

Holding on tightly… and leaving no room

What I also realised, and this took a bit longer to admit, was that I was holding onto that role very tightly.

For good reason. It was a great role.

But it left no room.

No room to think differently.
No room to explore.
No room to create something that felt more aligned with who I was becoming.

And trying to build something new while you are fully consumed by something else is incredibly difficult.

There is no white space for strategy.

Only execution.

The moment I knew this decade mattered

Turning 50 sharpened everything.

Not in a dramatic way, but in a very real and grounded way.

Half a century has a way of doing that. 😰  It makes you pause and wonder what else might be possible before it’s too late.

I knew this was a turning point.

And I also knew that if I didn’t do something deliberate, if I didn’t create space and make a move, I would miss the mark on this next decade.

Not failure. 

But not fully step into what I was capable of either. And that would have been a shame.

I now see this in women just like you

Since then, I’ve seen this same moment play out across so many of the women I work with.

Women who are successful, capable, and already operating at a high level.

But who are beginning to feel that same shift.

For some, it shows up as redundancy or contracting in a tightening executive market, aware that their next move needs to be far more deliberate.

For others, it’s the end of a major role or project on the horizon, knowing they need to position for what comes next rather than wait for it to appear.

And for others, it’s the beginning of a successful consulting practice that they know could be so much more, if only they stepped into it fully.

Different circumstances. Same realisation.

This next chapter will not define itself.

The risk isn’t failure. It’s getting it wrong.

At this level, most women are not going to fail.

They will continue to perform, deliver, and be seen as capable.

But that’s not the bar anymore.

The real risk is getting it wrong.

• Staying in roles that don’t fully stretch you
• Accepting opportunities that are adjacent, but not aligned
• Continuing to operate below your full potential simply because you haven’t had the space to step back and reset

And ten years later, looking back and knowing you could have gone further.

This decade is not a continuation. It’s a choice

Turning 50, or whatever big round birthday you’re approaching, is not a wind-down phase.

It’s a recalibration point.

You have the experience.
You have the judgement.
You have the perspective.

The question is whether you create the space to use it deliberately.

Because this next decade will take shape one way or another.

The difference is whether you shape it, or simply move through it.

This is why I created Your Next Act Retreat

I created this next Retreat because I know how hard it is to do this work while you are still in the middle of everything.

To step out of execution mode.
To think strategically.
To reconnect with what you actually want.

This is not a break.

It’s a structured, supported space to do the thinking that most women don’t get the opportunity to do properly.

Over three days, we focus on:

• Exploring what it is you want to do when you grow up – yes even at this age!
• Defining a clear 3–5 and even 10-year vision aligned to your next act
• Repositioning your experience so you are seen as ready 
• Identifying and closing the visibility, influence and confidence gaps that are holding you back
• Strengthening how you communicate your value in the rooms that matter

If this feels familiar, it’s probably your moment

If you recognise yourself in this, not stuck, but no longer stretched, then this is not something to leave for another year.

Because clarity doesn’t come from staying busy.

It comes from creating the space to think differently, at the right time.

And for many women, that time is now.

Request an invitation for Your Next Act Retreat 3-6 June, 2026, and give yourself the space to do this work properly. 

Your next decade will take shape one way or another.

The question is whether you give yourself the space to shape it deliberately.