Ms Rachel & the Power of the Midlife Pivot

At 38 years old, I often find myself falling into this "it's too late" trap.

It's too late to have a third baby. It's too late to go back to grad school (again). It's too late to pivot in my career.

But it's not too late: As we enter this phase, millennial women are rewriting the rules of midlife. See: Ms Rachel, the musician who built a whole empire around connecting with kids, who recently put it into perspective.

A woman (@bwhite_) posed a question on threads: "Y’all think 35 is too late to consider changing careers completely ?". Ms Rachel had the best response. "I had the idea for Ms Rachel at 36 years old", she replied.

It's such a powerful reminder: We can use the tools we've gained in new ways — or we can build a new toolbox completely — at any age. We hear the reassurances, of course, but nothing really shows us it's possible like a real life example. And here, Ms Rachel is giving us one: She came up with an idea at an age at which so many women are told it's "too late". That idea blew up.

Not everyone will be Ms Rachel, of course. We can't all be moguls, but we can pivot and change our minds and start new things and learn new skills. Those things don't stop being true when we exit our 20s, contrary to what so many narratives suggest.

I think so many of us have always felt that men were given endless permission to try new things, to start new companies, to change lanes or occupy multiple lanes at once. Women, on the other hand, were always encouraged to stay small.

But as people begin to live longer, technology changes the career game, new industries pop up, portfolio careers become more and more popular, and more lead by example, we have the opportunity to make these midlife pivots. And you know what? That's pretty awesome.