‘Forty is not the beginning of the end. It is the end of the beginning’ – Trish O.
Years back, when I turned 40, it felt like I had blinked and suddenly turned 40. I had been working, earning, spending, and living, without a deliberate growth strategy. Suddenly, I was no longer excited about my job. I was not growing. And as I spoke to friends, I discovered that many women my age, at the time, felt the same. We followed the script handed down to us, the script of education, career, marriage, family, and then, retirement! We followed this diligently, only to realize at midlife that our stories still had many chapters left to write.
Today, more women over 40 are choosing what I like to call, ‘The Second Act’.
The ‘Second Act’ marks a season of reinvention, renewed purpose, and unapologetic growth. Women over 40 are not slowing down. We are stepping up.
Look at Ibukun Awosika, who became the first female Chair of First Bank of Nigeria at 53, after building The Chair Centre Group into a leading furniture manufacturing company. Or Tara Fela-Durotoye, who began House of Tara in her twenties but scaled it into a beauty empire well into her forties, mentoring thousands of women along the way. Their paths prove that reinvention is not about starting from scratch, but about building on the foundation of who you have already become. It’s about becoming! Becoming who you are meant to be. Finding yourself. Finding your true purpose.
Why 40 can be a turning point
At this stage, many women reached career plateaus or simply outgrew old goals. And rather than settle into sedentary life, are pursuing advanced education, launching businesses, stepping into politics, creating NGOs, and igniting creative passions that might have once seemed unrealistic.
The Courage to Begin Again
Age, they say, is just a number. Anyone can reinvent themselves at any point or at any age. Reinvention is a mindset shift. It means facing fears, breaking outdated norms, and embracing your most authentic self.
Here is my 8-step R.E.I.N.V.E.N.T. playbook for staying relevant, competitive, and fulfilled after 40:
R – Respect Your Experience: Your skills, wisdom, and network are gold. Use them.
E – Educate Yourself Continuously: Take courses, attend workshops, earn certifications. Learning is fuel for reinvention.
I – Invest in Your Health & Energy: You can’t pour from an empty cup. Physical, mental, and emotional wellness are your greatest assets.
N – Nurture Your Network: Surround yourself with women who inspire, challenge, and support you. If you can’t find the right circle, create one.
V – Visualize & Set Goals: Define what you want now, not what you wanted 20 years ago. Be intentional.
E – Embrace Flexibility: Be open to changing careers, adjusting work styles, adjusting to cultural shifts, working with the younger generation, or embracing technology like AI. Adaptability keeps you relevant.
N – Narrate Your Story: Your journey can inspire others. Speak at events, post on LinkedIn, write a book, or share on social media. Your voice matters.
T – Take Bold Action: Ideas are powerless without action. Begin now.
Across Africa and beyond, women over 40 are shifting the narrative. From the boardroom to the marketplace, they are proving that growth and leadership have no expiry date.
Remember this: Your second act is not a quiet next chapter of your life but your bestseller in the making.
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Challenge for readers: Choose one letter from R.E.I.N.V.E.N.T. and act on it this week. Share your progress with the hashtag #SecondActNow so other women can find you and cheer you on. Join the movement on Facebook: SecondActNow
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Trish Odusami is an executive coach, transformational leader, and AI consultant for SMEs. With a background in technology project management and relationship management, she has delivered multimillion-dollar projects for Fortune 500 companies and specializes in helping professional women step into visible leadership, achieve their full potential, and create financial independence. Whilst also applying her AI expertise to help small and medium businesses innovate and grow.
A graduate of HEC Paris, Oxford University UK, and Lagos State University, Trish is the founder of HigherDrive Coaching & Consulting, and serves on the Boards of CEEDLI, a New York-based environmental nonprofit, a Rwandan Kwizera Children’s foundation, Rwanda and the National Real Estate Board for Black Realtors Long Island. She lives in New York, with her family.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/trishodusami
https://instagram.com/higherdrive_coaching?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
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