This is a great example of what everyone should do in his own niche, field, intersection area: map the territory, make sense of it and make it easy for others to navigate it.
.
.
P.S.: If I could express a few little wishes for making it even better:
1) Group them by sub-themes
2) Show the name of the author behind each one
3) Your take on it - why you recommend it / what you like about it
4) What type of content is being published (short stories, interview, biographies, etc.)
5) How long it has been there . e.g.: since 2020...
@rhonda doruiter, this comment touches my heart so deeply. You’ve captured the exact essence of what I hoped to build; not a polished blueprint to follow, but a living, breathing space that honours the real complexity of this chapter. Thank you for recognising the intentionality behind sending people toward each other's work. Having your presence and witness here means the world to me!
J’adore l’idée du directory, justement parce qu’il n’essaie pas de définir une seule version de la femme en midlife. Travail, argent, santé, créativité, relations, identité… dans la vraie vie tout cohabite. Et j’aime encore plus l’idée qu’un média puisse aussi servir à faire découvrir d’autres femmes plutôt qu’à toujours ramener la conversation vers soi.
This is exactly why I created it, Solen. I’ve never believed there is one way to be a woman in midlife; we’re whole, complicated, curious women, and all of those parts of our lives coexist. Work, money, health, relationships, creativity, identity, purpose… It’s all part of the conversation. And yes, I love the idea that Midlife by Design can be a place where women discover each other, not just come to hear from me. There are so many brilliant women creating thoughtful work around midlife, and I want to help make some of those connections easier to find. Thank you for seeing that.
I love that. Especially the idea of creating a place where women discover each other. I’m building something around ambitious women in France, and I keep coming back to the same thought: some of the most valuable things can happen between the women in the room, without the founder needing to be at the center of every conversation. I’ll definitely keep following what you’re building.
Yes! I love that so much, @Solen Ouahioune 🌸. I think there’s something really powerful about creating the conditions for women to find each other, rather than feeling like we have to be the person at the centre of every connection.
That’s very much what I hope the Directory becomes too: a place where one woman discovers another, follows a thread, finds a new perspective, and perhaps a meaningful connection comes from it that I never even see. There’s something quite beautiful about building the room and then letting the women make it their own. I’d love to follow what you’re creating in France too x
I love the idea of bringing these voices together. There is something particularly interesting about midlife as a moment when so many women begin questioning definitions they may have inherited rather than chosen—success, ambition, home, work, even what constitutes a valuable life. What I’m discovering is that those questions aren't necessarily about starting over. Often they're about becoming much more deliberate about what deserves to come with us into the next chapter.
Yes, @Jennifer Garland Ross, AAA! This is exactly why I wanted to bring these voices together. I love what you’ve said about the definitions we inherit versus the ones we consciously choose, because I think that is such a huge part of midlife. It’s not necessarily about throwing everything away and starting again. Sometimes it’s about looking at what we’ve accumulated — beliefs, expectations, roles, ideas of success — and asking, does this still belong to me? And then deciding what deserves to come with us into the next chapter. I think that’s where so many of the writers in the Directory have something really valuable to say.
What a great resource! It’s a gold mine of info for midlife women. Thank you for including me, Kiran. It’s truly an honor to be among this wonderful group of women.
Mina, thank you! I’m so glad you’re part of it. I genuinely love the collective of women and voices that has grown around Midlife by Design, and it felt important to create a place where we can discover each other, share our work and remind women that there are so many different ways to navigate this chapter. And having you in there makes it even better x
Brava! Kiran
Juts discovered your Midlife by Design Directory
This is a great example of what everyone should do in his own niche, field, intersection area: map the territory, make sense of it and make it easy for others to navigate it.
.
.
P.S.: If I could express a few little wishes for making it even better:
1) Group them by sub-themes
2) Show the name of the author behind each one
3) Your take on it - why you recommend it / what you like about it
4) What type of content is being published (short stories, interview, biographies, etc.)
5) How long it has been there . e.g.: since 2020...
Kiran, I think what I appreciate most about this is that you haven’t tried to define midlife by curating it. You’ve done almost the opposite.
You’ve made room for its complexity by bringing very different voices into view.
There is generosity in building something that deliberately sends people toward other people’s work. And somehow, that feels very much like you. 🤍
@rhonda doruiter, this comment touches my heart so deeply. You’ve captured the exact essence of what I hoped to build; not a polished blueprint to follow, but a living, breathing space that honours the real complexity of this chapter. Thank you for recognising the intentionality behind sending people toward each other's work. Having your presence and witness here means the world to me!
That means a great deal, Kiran!
Your intention is recognizable; you’ve always been this generous with other people’s work.
I feel we’re drawn to similar values, and they’re ones I carry deeply too.
I’m very glad to be here to witness what you build from them. 🤍
J’adore l’idée du directory, justement parce qu’il n’essaie pas de définir une seule version de la femme en midlife. Travail, argent, santé, créativité, relations, identité… dans la vraie vie tout cohabite. Et j’aime encore plus l’idée qu’un média puisse aussi servir à faire découvrir d’autres femmes plutôt qu’à toujours ramener la conversation vers soi.
This is exactly why I created it, Solen. I’ve never believed there is one way to be a woman in midlife; we’re whole, complicated, curious women, and all of those parts of our lives coexist. Work, money, health, relationships, creativity, identity, purpose… It’s all part of the conversation. And yes, I love the idea that Midlife by Design can be a place where women discover each other, not just come to hear from me. There are so many brilliant women creating thoughtful work around midlife, and I want to help make some of those connections easier to find. Thank you for seeing that.
I love that. Especially the idea of creating a place where women discover each other. I’m building something around ambitious women in France, and I keep coming back to the same thought: some of the most valuable things can happen between the women in the room, without the founder needing to be at the center of every conversation. I’ll definitely keep following what you’re building.
Yes! I love that so much, @Solen Ouahioune 🌸. I think there’s something really powerful about creating the conditions for women to find each other, rather than feeling like we have to be the person at the centre of every connection.
That’s very much what I hope the Directory becomes too: a place where one woman discovers another, follows a thread, finds a new perspective, and perhaps a meaningful connection comes from it that I never even see. There’s something quite beautiful about building the room and then letting the women make it their own. I’d love to follow what you’re creating in France too x
I love the idea of bringing these voices together. There is something particularly interesting about midlife as a moment when so many women begin questioning definitions they may have inherited rather than chosen—success, ambition, home, work, even what constitutes a valuable life. What I’m discovering is that those questions aren't necessarily about starting over. Often they're about becoming much more deliberate about what deserves to come with us into the next chapter.
Yes, @Jennifer Garland Ross, AAA! This is exactly why I wanted to bring these voices together. I love what you’ve said about the definitions we inherit versus the ones we consciously choose, because I think that is such a huge part of midlife. It’s not necessarily about throwing everything away and starting again. Sometimes it’s about looking at what we’ve accumulated — beliefs, expectations, roles, ideas of success — and asking, does this still belong to me? And then deciding what deserves to come with us into the next chapter. I think that’s where so many of the writers in the Directory have something really valuable to say.
What a great resource! It’s a gold mine of info for midlife women. Thank you for including me, Kiran. It’s truly an honor to be among this wonderful group of women.
Mina, thank you! I’m so glad you’re part of it. I genuinely love the collective of women and voices that has grown around Midlife by Design, and it felt important to create a place where we can discover each other, share our work and remind women that there are so many different ways to navigate this chapter. And having you in there makes it even better x