What Women 50+ Are Really Saying About Work, Reinvention, and Visibility
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reviewing responses from a December 2025 survey I created for women 50+ about work, reinvention, and visibility. (Thank you to everyone who took the time to share so honestly.)
I wanted to understand what women are actually navigating at this stage of life — especially those who still want to build, contribute, and evolve, but feel held back by ageism or shifting life and work priorities.
The data showed exactly what I had assumed based on my own experience and the work I do with my clients. Women over 50 want to pivot to something more meaningful, and there is a real tension between experience and uncertainty.
Here’s what the responses showed.
Ageism Is Still Present — Even When It’s Subtle
Some women shared very direct experiences of ageism at work:
Being passed over for someone younger, watching years of experience be minimized
Feeling increasingly invisible in decision-making spaces
Not getting called back for a second interview or hearing crickets after submitting resumes (hard to prove this is direct ageism in action, but it’s a common experience for older workers, for both women and men)
Others described something more subtle, but just as real:
No longer being sought out the way they once were
Sensing their voice carried less weight
Feeling pressure to “prove relevance” again
What stood out was frustration mixed with a little bit of fear. A mix of not getting the recognition that once came naturally, and the fear that what happened to their mothers is now happening to them - invisibility and being perceived as invaluable.
Fear Isn’t About Capability — It’s About Relevance
Many women talked about fear, but not the fear of being capable.
It was more of a fear of:
Being left behind as technology accelerates
Not knowing how to position themselves in a world shaped by AI
Wondering if it’s even too late — financially, emotionally, or competitively
Fear about living longer and needing financial resources - will they struggle to keep or find new work
These women aren’t doubting their capabilities; they’re questioning how their experience translates now and if not, what then?
The Desire for Meaning Is Stronger Than the Fear
This was the most important insight.
Even with real concerns, the pull toward meaningful, aligned work is stronger than the fear. And, the willingness to overcome fear and lean into new possibilities feels exciting and empowering.
Women spoke about:
Wanting work that reflects who they are now, not who they were at 35
Being less willing to tolerate misalignment or play roles that no longer fit (if financially viable)
Feeling a growing urgency to use their experience intentionally
Wanting a clearer personal brand — a defined presence, a plan, and a core message to help move through the fear
There’s also a deep awareness that time is finite and that reality sharpens your priorities. It’s not akin to a midlife crisis; it’s more about an awakening.
And by the way, the idea of a “midlife crisis” isn’t what we’ve been told it is. I highly recommend Life Reimagined: The Science, Art, and Opportunity of Midlife by Barbara Bradley Hagerty. Her research — and her life — are a powerful reframing of this stage.
Visibility at This Stage Is Complicated
Visibility came up again and again, but not for the sake of wanting attention or popularity. It’s about wanting to be seen accurately — and not being judged for aging (god forbid anyone gets old in our culture).
Many women described uneasiness and real, deep fear around:
Showing authority without being judged and dismissed because of age
Being visible without feeling performative and looking like an idito (real words there)
Explaining what they do now, when their identity has evolved
The counter to feeling invisible is the fear of being visible and being judged and criticized for it
Visibility here didn’t appear to be necessarily about confidence. It was more about trust — in their voice and underneath it all, respect.
Our value as women has often been tied to our looks and to how we nurture and take care of others; when that role shifts or lessens, the culture would prefer we quietly step aside.
No one asks this of men.
Clarity Matters More Than Confidence
One of the strongest themes was this:
Women aren’t lacking confidence. They’re lacking clarity.
They don’t want to rush into:
A new business
A public pivot
A visible role
They want to find their place and take on something new without the barriers of being seen as too old or out of touch. They want direction that feels intentional and a process that reduces the risk of choosing wrong.
This isn’t coming directly out of fear but is more aligned with being mature and having decades of experience.
This Is Not an Ending. It’s a Transition.
What’s clear from this survey is that women 50+ are not done.
They are:
Re-evaluating
Re-positioning
Re-inventing
Choosing more intentionally
They’re building on what came before — not abandoning it. They want to learn how to translate their experience into something new.
Why This Matters
Women aren’t asking for shortcuts. They’re asking for respect and fairness regarding their experience and the discernment that only comes with age.
Moving Forward
I’ll continue sharing what I’m learning from this work, because the narrative around women in midlife is shifting — but we still have a lot of work to do.
We are not starting over. We are building forward — together.
Is it smooth sailing? Of course not. But we are raising the sails, learning how to navigate changing waters, and creating new paths — not just for ourselves, but for every generation of women.
Young and old need to truly see that aging is a privilege and intergenerational learning matters. This will hopefully help us all see that we don’t need to fear aging, and that younger women have something to look forward to because being in midlife truly is a time of liberation and enlightenment.
