What happens to potential when it has nowhere to go?

Years ago, I became fascinated by an old structure on our property that I came to think of as a “well to nowhere.” From the outside, it looked as though it had been built for a purpose. Someone had invested time, labor, materials, and probably money into creating it. Yet it produced nothing. There was no useful flow of water, no meaningful destination, no return on the investment.

The structure remained, but its potential had been buried. From time to time we heard critters stirring below the heavy wooden lid, but there seemed to be no other purpose.

I think people can live that way, too.

We can spend years building careers, collecting experience, developing skills, and gaining wisdom, yet never fully tap what is inside us. We may be productive and responsible—even successful by conventional standards—while quietly recognizing that some of our best abilities are sitting unused.

That is the hidden cost of untapped potential. It rarely announces itself as failure. More often, it shows up as restlessness, boredom, frustration, disengagement, or the persistent question:

Is this really all there is?

When Showing Up Isn't the Same as Being Engaged

If you are interested in growing and learning, check out our online courses here: Online Learning

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What happens when you stop trying to fit into someone else’s category and create an entirely new one? That question captures my recent conversation on the Power of After Show with Diane Gilman, the legendary “Queen of Jeans.” Diane built a global fashion business by recognizing an audience the fashion industry had largely overlooked: middle-aged women who still wanted style, comfort, and confidence—without having to dress as though they were twenty-five.

Her story is about much more than denim. It’s about reinvention, entrepreneurship, persistence, and recognizing opportunity in places others have stopped looking.

And perhaps most importantly, it challenges one of the assumptions that can quietly limit us in the second half of life: Maybe my best ideas are behind me. Diane’s experience suggests exactly the opposite.

Age is Just a Number

Diane’s career began long before the jeans that would eventually make her famous. In the 1960s and early 1970s, she was designing and embellishing denim for rock-and-roll stars in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Eventually she moved to New York and later found her way onto television, where she spent decades selling fashion.

But one of her biggest breakthroughs didn’t come when she was twenty-five or thirty-five. It came around age sixty. Diane looked at herself one day and realized the fashion industry she had spent her life serving was no longer designing for her. The prevailing image was “young and perfect.” The jeans being marketed looked great on young celebrities, but the bodies of women change with age.

Instead of accepting that she had somehow aged out of fashion, Diane got angry. And then she got creative. She designed a jean around her own middle-aged measurements. When she approached television executives with the idea, she was told that a fitted bottom would never sell on television. Eventually, she was given one hour to prove them wrong.

The result? That one opportunity eventually led to 25 million pairs of jeans sold, followed by international expansion that reached number-one status in multiple markets. There is an important lesson here for anyone entering the second half of life. Experience doesn't have to narrow our possibilities. It can actually sharpen our ability to recognize them. At twenty-five, Diane couldn't have created the middle-aged jean from personal experience. At sixty, she could.

Sometimes age isn't the obstacle to the idea. Age is what gives us the insight to see it.

When I asked what lesson she would draw from that experience, her advice was simple: “Never stop dreaming and never give up.”  Later in our conversation, she returned to the same theme: “Never stop dreaming and dream big.” Why not?

Dreaming doesn't cost anything. But giving ourselves permission to pursue a dream can become harder as we age because we become increasingly aware of risk. We know what can go wrong. We understand financial consequences. We have responsibilities. We've experienced disappointment. We may have failed enough times to recognize the possibility of failing again.

But experience also gives us assets we didn't possess when we were younger: judgment, skills, perspective, relationships, and a much clearer understanding of ourselves. The question isn't necessarily whether we can recreate the career we had at forty. It might be: What can I build at sixty, seventy, or eighty that I couldn't possibly have built at thirty?

Trial and Error

Reinvention sounds exciting after it succeeds. While you're living through it, it often feels much messier. Diane eventually stepped away from the television retail world where she had been enormously successful. After decades of knowing her role and her audience, she entered the unfamiliar territory of podcasting and social media. And success didn't immediately follow her.

She acknowledged that after being number one in one field, it was easy to assume she could enter another and quickly become number one again. That's not what happened. Instead, she experimented. She initially became a podcast co-host, learned how the medium worked, and discovered something important: after thirty years of co-hosting television, she didn't want to co-host anymore.

She wanted to host. That wasn't failure. It was information. She also discovered a love for writing and began exploring what she humorously called other creative “tentacles.” That's what trial and error can do. We often want our next chapter completely mapped before taking the first step. But sometimes we discover what fits only by trying what doesn't.

Technology adds another dimension to this. AI, podcasting, social media, automation, and remote work are changing how we communicate and create. It's tempting to decide that these tools belong to another generation. Diane strongly disagrees.

At eighty, she's podcasting and using social media, including TikTok. We don't have to master every new technology-we may not be good at it right away, or even at all. But refusing to engage with what's new can unnecessarily close doors that experience has prepared us to walk through.

Enjoying Your Age

Perhaps one of my favorite parts of our conversation had nothing to do with business. It was about enjoying where you are. After breast cancer treatment, Diane decided she no longer wanted to dye her hair. She allowed it to become its natural white and intentionally created an image around being a glamorous older woman. That choice represented something deeper.

She wasn't trying to compete with a younger version of herself. She was deciding how she wanted to live now. Her image became part of a larger message about aging more productively, joyfully, and with greater fulfillment.  Diane offered one particularly memorable challenge: “If you're not enjoying aging, you're not trying hard enough.”

Her point wasn't that aging is easy. It was that decline doesn't have to become our entire definition of it. She encouraged people to wake up with gratitude, determine what brings them joy, and pursue it. That may mean building a business. It may mean writing the book you've postponed for twenty years.

It may mean learning a new technology, developing friendships across generations, traveling, mentoring, creating, teaching, or finally pursuing an idea that never had room to breathe during the busiest years of your life. The Power of After isn't about pretending age doesn't matter. It is about recognizing what age has given us.

Your next great idea may come precisely because you've lived long enough to recognize a problem others don't see, accumulated the skills to address it, and gained enough perspective to know why it matters. Diane Gilman didn't become the “Queen of Jeans” by pretending she was still twenty-five. She succeeded by recognizing that she wasn't—and realizing millions of other women weren't either.

Sometimes the opportunity you've been looking for isn't on the other side of your age. It's hidden within everything your age has taught you. And your best idea may still be ahead.

Additional Resources

More about Diane Gilman here: Diane Gilman

The Summit: Journey to Hero Mountain by Deborah Johnson: an inspiring journey to conquer self-doubt, fear, and criticism, including the protagonist’s own inner critic.

Power of After: What's Next Can Be Your Most Purposeful Chapter by Deborah Johnson

Hero Mountain Summit: Power of After 5-Step Framework: A 5-month entrepreneurial mentorship designed to help mid-life professionals break free from stagnation and rise toward purposeful success.

FREE Downloads: Goal Setting Worksheets ; Power of After 7 Ingredients for Success Guide

FREE Resources and links: https://GoalsForYourLife.com/DJWorks

Deborah’s Music Products: https://djworksmusic.com/products/

YouTube Podcast Playlist (Subscribe!): Women at Halftime/Power of After

If you are interested in growing and learning, check out our online courses here: Online Learning

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Have you ever looked at someone with remarkable talent and wondered why they never seemed to reach their potential? Or perhaps you've asked the harder question in the mirror: "Why do I know what I should do, yet still feel stuck?" We've never had greater access to books, podcasts, courses, and information. We know more about health, leadership, relationships, and personal growth than any generation before us. Yet knowing isn't always the problem. Intelligence alone doesn't guarantee progress. Often, the greatest obstacles are invisible thinking patterns quietly shaping our decisions long before we're aware of them.

That's what makes them so difficult to recognize. They're hidden in plain sight. We don't wake up one morning and decide to think less clearly or believe something that isn't true. Instead, small assumptions, repeated disappointments, criticism, comparison, fear, and even success slowly become the lens through which we interpret ourselves and the world around us. Over time, those unseen patterns begin influencing what we believe, the risks we're willing to take, and whether we move forward—or stay stuck.

The challenge is that we rarely question the lens itself. We assume our perspective is accurate because it's familiar. Yet some of the greatest breakthroughs in life happen not when we learn something new, but when something hidden is finally revealed. Suddenly, we see ourselves, our circumstances, and our opportunities differently.

Today I'd like to explore several fascinating illustrations that all have one thing in common. Invisible ink hides a message until the right light reveals it. A blind spot monitor alerts us to danger we can't see on our own. Even a roller coaster can leave us so disoriented that we struggle to regain our balance long after the ride is over. Each one reminds us that what remains unseen often has the greatest influence on where we go next.

The Invisible Thinking Patterns that Hold Us Back

If you are interested in growing and learning, check out our online courses here: Online Learning

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What if the biggest obstacle between you and your summit isn’t your circumstances—but what you believe about yourself?

That question sits at the heart of my allegorical book, The Summit: Journey to Hero Mountain. It follows a young woman named Mallery, whose name means ill-fated or the unfortunate one. She has dreams she rarely shares, doubts she knows all too well, and no idea whether she has what it takes to reach the summit.

But over the course of her journey, something changes. Through obstacles, choices, setbacks, unexpected discoveries, and a mysterious Band of Hope, Mallery gradually grows into a new name: Andriette—strong and courageous. Her journey may be fictional, but the challenges she encounters are remarkably familiar.

Day 1: The Invitation

If you are interested in growing and learning, check out our online courses here: Online Learning

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What if some of the most common assumptions about hunger, weight gain, and chronic disease are missing a critical piece of the puzzle?

That question set the stage for a fascinating conversation on the Power of After Show with physician and author Dr. John Poothullil, who challenged many long-held beliefs about nutrition, obesity, and metabolic health. Drawing from decades of medical practice and years of research after retirement, Dr. Poothullil offered a perspective that shifts the conversation away from calorie counting and toward understanding the body's natural hunger signals.

Whether listeners agree with all of his conclusions or not, the discussion encourages something increasingly important in today's healthcare environment: becoming an informed participant in your own health decisions. In this article, we cover some of the topics that came up: Why we get hungry, learning from children, how much protein we need, eating when hungry, sugar and carbs, chewing, slowing down and becoming the CEO of our own health.

Why Do We Get Hungry?

Perhaps the most intriguing question Dr. Poothullil posed wasn't what we should eat—but why we feel hungry in the first place.

He described how his own struggle with gradual weight gain led him to question conventional explanations. Despite exercising regularly and eating much the same way he always had, losing weight became increasingly difficult. At the same time, he observed many patients with Type 2 diabetes who successfully controlled their blood sugar yet still developed complications affecting their kidneys, eyes, heart, and brain. Those experiences motivated him to begin asking deeper questions.

One of his first questions for patients was surprisingly simple: "Can you predict when you'll be hungry next?" During one counseling session with ten adults struggling with excess weight, he asked them to record every time they truly felt hungry before eating. Four of the ten participants never experienced genuine hunger during the three-day exercise—yet they still ate regularly because "it was time to eat." His conclusion was that many of us eat more from conditioning than physiological need.

We eat because:

• It's noon.
• Food is available.
• Someone offered dessert.
• Everyone else is eating.
• We've always had a snack at that hour.

The conversation invites us to pause and ask a simple question before reaching for food: "Am I actually hungry?" That single moment of awareness may be more powerful than many realize.

Dr. Poothullil’s argument was not that protein is unimportant, but that the body's nutritional needs constantly change. Proteins are broken down into amino acids, some of which are essential while others the body can manufacture. Because those needs vary from person to person and from day to day, he questioned whether fixed nutrition charts can perfectly reflect an individual's requirements. Instead, he encouraged paying closer attention to the body's own feedback.

That doesn't eliminate the value of sound nutritional guidance, but it reminds us that eating is more than simply hitting numerical targets. My approach of includes protein-rich foods such as eggs, nuts, seeds, and lean meats while remaining thoughtful about overall food choices. I do some of this because I feel better, with energy throughout the day. Our conversation affirmed the importance of that by becoming more intentional rather than simply following trends.

Eat Only When You're Hungry

One of the four practical recommendations was to eat only when you're hungry. That sounds obvious, yet it challenges many common eating habits. We celebrate with food. We snack while watching television. We eat because we're traveling. We eat because it's expected.

Listeners were encouraged to become more aware of true hunger rather than external cues. Whether or not someone agrees entirely with his viewpoint, practicing greater awareness can help distinguish between genuine physical hunger and emotional or habitual eating. Mindful eating begins with mindful noticing.

The Role of Sugar and Carbohydrates

Another major topic was the role of refined carbohydrates and grain-based foods. Diets high in processed grains contribute to repeated blood sugar spikes, increased insulin release, and recurring hunger. Poothullil suggested that many people unknowingly become trapped in a cycle of eating carbohydrate-heavy meals followed by energy crashes that encourage additional eating.

A practical recommendation was not necessarily eliminating grains altogether but reducing grain-based foods significantly. This came with the suggestion of cutting grain portions roughly in half while emphasizing foods that naturally require chewing.

The biggest takeaway may simply be to evaluate eating patterns carefully rather than relying solely on quick solutions.

Why Chewing Matters

Perhaps the most unexpected insight centered on something most of us rarely think about: How we chew our food. Chewing does far more than mechanically break food apart.

Taste receptors provide continual feedback to the brain while eating. As the enjoyment of each bite gradually decreases, the body begins signaling satisfaction. Many people miss these signals because they eat too quickly or consume foods requiring very little chewing.

Practical advice included:

• Take smaller bites.
• Chew thoroughly.
• Eat foods that naturally require chewing.
• Remove distractions while eating.
• Focus on enjoying each bite.

One distinction stood out: Satisfaction and fullness are not the same thing. Many people stop eating only after their stomach feels full. Instead, stop when the enjoyment and satisfaction begin to diminish—before discomfort sets in. The possibility for this increases if we slow down our eating.

Slow Down and Enjoy the Meal

Modern life encourages multitasking. We answer emails during lunch. Watch television during dinner. Scroll social media while snacking. The interview suggested that perhaps one of the healthiest habits we can reclaim is simply being present while we eat.

Distractions reduce awareness of both enjoyment and satisfaction, making overeating far more likely. It's a remarkably simple practice that costs nothing:

• Sit down.
• Slow down.
• Taste your food.
• Enjoy it.

Sometimes profound health habits begin with surprisingly ordinary choices.

Becoming the CEO of Your Own Health

Here is one principle I’ve been focusing on recently: We are the CEO of our own health. That doesn't mean rejecting medical advice. It means asking thoughtful questions. Researching reliable sources. Understanding options. Participating in healthcare decisions instead of passively accepting them.

Today's technology gives us unprecedented access to information. The challenge is learning to distinguish credible evidence from unsupported claims and to have informed conversations with healthcare professionals. My encouragement is to listen and do your own research. Doctors and medical professionals only have so much time—it’s up to us to do some of this legwork, especially regarding nutrition.

Final Thoughts

Whether every listener agrees with some of these conclusions or not, this conversation accomplishes something valuable—it encourages curiosity. Poothullil’s perspective reminds us that healthy living may involve more than counting calories or chasing the latest diet trend. It may begin with reconnecting to signals our bodies have been giving us all along.

Some of the simplest practices may also be the most powerful:

• Eat when you're truly hungry.
• Slow down.
• Chew your food thoroughly.
• Reduce distractions during meals.
• Pay attention to satisfaction rather than fullness.
• Make thoughtful food choices instead of automatic ones.

Health is rarely transformed overnight. More often, it's shaped one meal, one habit, and one intentional decision at a time. Meaningful change doesn't come from instant fixes—it comes from learning to work with the remarkable design of the human body rather than against it. Do your research and listen to your body.

Additional Resources

More information about Dr. Poothullil: https://drjohnonhealth.com

The Summit: Journey to Hero Mountain by Deborah Johnson: an inspiring journey to conquer self-doubt, fear, and criticism, including the protagonist’s own inner critic.

Power of After: What's Next Can Be Your Most Purposeful Chapter by Deborah Johnson

Hero Mountain Summit: Power of After 5-Step Framework: A 5-month entrepreneurial mentorship designed to help mid-life professionals break free from stagnation and rise toward purposeful success.

FREE Downloads: Goal Setting Worksheets ; Power of After 7 Ingredients for Success Guide

FREE Resources and links: https://GoalsForYourLife.com/DJWorks

Deborah’s Music Products: https://djworksmusic.com/products/

YouTube Podcast Playlist (Subscribe!): Women at Halftime/Power of After

If you are interested in growing and learning, check out our online courses here: Online Learning

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Life has a rhythm whether we intentionally create one or not. The question is: Who is setting the tempo?

For many of us during the first half of life, our rhythm was established by outside demands. Careers dictated our schedules. Children filled our calendars with sports, school events, and activities. Family obligations, deadlines, and responsibilities determined when we woke up, what we accomplished, and often even how we spent our weekends. I remember those days with fondness, yet also with how busy they were. Then something changes.

Our children become adults. Careers shift or plateau. Retirement appears on the horizon—or perhaps we’ve already stepped into it. Parents begin needing care instead of providing it. Suddenly, the structure that once governed our lives begins to disappear. While that freedom can be exciting, it can also be unsettling.

Without intentional rhythms, it’s surprisingly easy to drift. Days become filled with activity but not necessarily progress. Weeks pass, and we wonder where the time went. We become busy without becoming purposeful.

One of the greatest opportunities at mid-career—or what I often call the “Power of After” stage—is that we now have the freedom to create a lifestyle that reflects our deepest values instead of simply reacting to everyone else’s priorities. Purposeful living doesn’t happen by chance.

It grows from intentional rhythms. I’ve been in a career using and loving rhythm and know the value of establishing it in a musical composition, but it’s just as valuable in life.

Rhythm Creates Freedom

If you are interested in growing and learning, check out our online courses here: Online Learning

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There are moments in life that divide everything into before and after. A career change. A health diagnosis. Retirement. The loss of someone we love. For many people, those moments become stopping points. For others, they become turning points.

One of the remarkable advantages of reaching mid-career—or what I often call the Power of After stage of life—is that we possess something far more valuable than youthful enthusiasm alone. We have decades of experience, trusted relationships, accumulated wisdom, and the ability to bring people together around a meaningful purpose. Few people demonstrate that better than Mike Gomoll.

After the devastating loss of his five-year-old son Joe to a rare form of epilepsy known as Dravet syndrome, which usually begins during the first year of life, Mike and his family could have understandably retreated into private grief. Instead, they transformed that heartbreak into Joey's Song, a nonprofit that has raised more than $2 million for epilepsy research while bringing together some of the biggest names in rock music for annual concerts in the middle of a Wisconsin winter.  But the story isn't really about concerts. It's about discovering that purpose often grows from our deepest pain. The following five principles follow the journey of embracing the opportunity that arose from a very difficult season of life for Mike and his family.

One: Education Creates Understanding and Hope

One of the first things Mike wanted listeners to understand wasn't his charity—it was epilepsy itself. "One in 26 people will develop epilepsy during their lifetime," he explained, a statistic that surprises almost everyone, including me. In other words, if your neighborhood has four people in each home, roughly every seventh house will be affected.

Like many of us, I admitted that my own understanding was limited. I remembered a classmate in elementary school who experienced seizures, and honestly, it frightened me because I simply didn't know what was happening. That's exactly why education matters.

Mike explained that epilepsy isn't one disease but many. It can result from genetics, head trauma, tumors, developmental conditions, and other causes. Some seizures involve convulsions; others may simply cause someone to stare blankly for a few moments. The common thread is that the brain is temporarily overwhelmed, causing the body to shut down as a protective response. Perhaps his most important message was simple:

People with epilepsy don't need our fear—they need our understanding.

Education replaces misconceptions with empathy. Whether you're passionate about health, education, business, or mentoring, meaningful impact often begins by helping people understand something they previously overlooked.

Mike had spent time in the music industry years earlier before building a career at IBM. Those relationships became unexpected assets. Instead of asking, "What completely new thing should I create?" he asked, "What do I already have that can make a difference?" This is a pivotal question to ask oneself at mid-career when planning a next chapter of life. To explore further, see: Hero Mountain Summit

The great principle applied is this: "The stuff that worked, we'd build upon. The stuff that didn't, we'd jettison."  That's practical wisdom for every entrepreneur, nonprofit leader, or mid-career professional. We often assume reinvention requires starting over. More often, it means building on the relationships, skills, experiences, and passions we've already developed over decades. Purpose usually grows from existing strengths.

Four: Great Things Happen When You Bring Exceptional People Together

What began as a fundraiser eventually evolved into something much larger. Artists including Cheap Trick, Tears for Fears, The Go-Go's, The Bangles, and many others don't simply perform their regular concerts. They create what Mike affectionately describes as a "rock camp for musicians."

Imagine members from different legendary bands spending a day—or even much less than a day-- rehearsing together before stepping on stage to perform songs they don't normally play—with musicians they've never performed alongside before. It's spontaneous. It's creative. It's risky. And they love it.

As Mike explained, professional musicians spend much of their careers performing the same sets night after night. Joey's Song gives them the opportunity to experiment, collaborate, laugh, improvise, and simply enjoy making music together again. The result is more than a concert. It's a community.

In fact, Mike shared that many of these artists now play together outside of Joey's Song because the friendships began there. That's another lesson for all of us. One of the greatest gifts we possess during the second half of life is our network. Over decades we've met talented people in countless professions. Sometimes our greatest contribution isn't doing everything ourselves. It's introducing remarkable people to one another and creating opportunities they never would have experienced otherwise.

Five: Look For Opportunity, Not Just a Calling

What began as a fundraiser eventually evolved into something much larger. Artists including Cheap Trick, Tears for Fears, The Go-Go's, The Bangles, and many others don't simply perform their regular concerts. They create what Mike affectionately describes as a "rock camp for musicians."

Imagine members from different legendary bands spending a day—or even much less than a day-- rehearsing together before stepping on stage to perform songs they don't normally play—with musicians they've never performed alongside before. It's spontaneous. It's creative. It's risky. And they love it.

As Mike explained, professional musicians spend much of their careers performing the same sets night after night. Joey's Song gives them the opportunity to experiment, collaborate, laugh, improvise, and simply enjoy making music together again. The result is more than a concert. It's a community.

In fact, Mike shared that many of these artists now play together outside of Joey's Song because the friendships began there. That's another lesson for all of us. One of the greatest gifts we possess during the second half of life is our network. Over decades we've met talented people in countless professions. Sometimes our greatest contribution isn't doing everything ourselves. It's introducing remarkable people to one another and creating opportunities they never would have experienced otherwise.

Turning Pain into Purpose

From the direct words of the founder comes an impactful message.  Joey's Song exists for one simple reason: To help the next family.  Somewhere today, another family is sitting in a neurologist's office hearing a diagnosis they never expected. They're frightened, confused, and wondering what tomorrow will look like. Mike wants them to know they're not alone.

That's the true legacy of Joey's Song. Not just the concerts. Not just the famous artists. Not even the millions of dollars raised. The legacy is transforming personal pain into hope for someone else. Perhaps that's one of the greatest opportunities available in the Power of After season of life. Our experiences—both joyful and painful—can become gifts we offer others. We can educate, tell our stories, build on what already works and bring remarkable people together.

And instead of waiting for some grand calling, we can simply embrace the opportunities already placed in front of us. Sometimes that's where our most meaningful purpose begins.

Additional Resources

More information about Mike Gomoll: Joey's Song

The Summit: Journey to Hero Mountain by Deborah Johnson: an inspiring journey to conquer self-doubt, fear, and criticism, including the protagonist’s own inner critic.

Power of After: What's Next Can Be Your Most Purposeful Chapter by Deborah Johnson

Hero Mountain Summit: Power of After 5-Step Framework: A 5-month entrepreneurial mentorship designed to help mid-life professionals break free from stagnation and rise toward purposeful success.

FREE Downloads: Goal Setting Worksheets ; Power of After 7 Ingredients for Success Guide

FREE Resources and links: https://GoalsForYourLife.com/DJWorks

Deborah’s Music Products: https://djworksmusic.com/products/

YouTube Podcast Playlist (Subscribe!): Women at Halftime/Power of After

If you are interested in growing and learning, check out our online courses here: Online Learning

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Have you ever noticed that setbacks rarely send a calendar invitation? They simply show up—just like the bear who recently wandered in our yard to eat my apples! He wasn’t invited!

Sometimes a setback is a relationship that changes unexpectedly. A trusted friend moves away. A marriage goes through a difficult season or it ends. An aging parent suddenly needs more care and you’re not sure how to pay for it. Adult children move across the country, and family dynamics shift. When we were raising our family, parents and grandparents were fairly close by. But today, we have to get on a plane and fly across the country to see some of our kids.

Other setbacks include our health. We wake up one morning and realize our body doesn’t recover as quickly as it once did. We discover we need to exercise differently, eat differently, or simply slow down enough to take care of ourselves.

Financial setbacks arrive too. A company restructures. Investments fluctuate. Inflation changes the cost of everyday living. Retirement looks different than we imagined twenty years ago.

Then there are the professional setbacks. Careers plateau. Industries change. Technology races ahead. Artificial intelligence transforms the workplace. Suddenly we’re finding ourselves facing multiple setbacks with confusion and mounting stress. But a setback does not have to become your identity. It can become your turning point.

Every Setback Carries a Lesson

• “I’m too old.”
• “I missed my opportunity.”
• “I’ve lost my chance.”
• “I’m falling behind.”

• “What is this teaching me?”
• “What new opportunity is in front of me?”
• “What strengths have I developed because of this experience?”

If you are interested in growing and learning, check out our online courses here: Online Learning

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The conversation I had with Alma Derricks on the Power of After Show focused on the principle that creative thinking begins by unlearning insecure thinking. It begins by replacing limiting assumptions with curiosity.

For many professionals, especially at mid-career or what I often call "halftime," the biggest obstacle isn't a lack of talent. It isn't even a lack of opportunity. It's the voice inside our own heads. That voice whispers:

• "You're too old."
• "You're not creative enough."
• "Someone else is already doing that."
• "Stay where it's safe."

Those thoughts often become stronger the longer we've been in one career, one company, or one way of thinking. We build routines. We become known for certain skills. We develop expertise. Those are all good things—but they can also become limitations if we stop learning, questioning, and imagining.

Having worked with an impressive range of both traditional and creative companies, Alma brings deep insight into what it takes to grow through change. Even if you don’t see yourself as an “adventurous leader,” our conversation will challenge the insecure voice many of us need to unlearn, helping us embrace creative thinking, self-leadership, and the courage it takes to pivot successfully into what’s next.

Mindset is More Powerful than Talent

One of Alma's observations that resonated deeply with me was that change itself isn't usually our greatest challenge. Our mindset is.

Many people spend years becoming excellent at operating within an established system. Schools reward correct answers. Companies reward consistency. Organizations create policies and procedures because they produce predictable results. But the marketplace rarely stays predictable.

• Industries shift.
• Technology evolves.
• Customer expectations change.
• Artificial intelligence is transforming nearly every profession.

The professionals who thrive aren't necessarily the smartest. They're the most adaptable and consistent. They've learned to ask different questions. Instead of asking, "How do I protect what I've always done?" They ask, "What new opportunity is emerging?" That shift changes everything.

Throughout our conversation, Alma repeatedly emphasized curiosity. She described helping organizations that had "run out of paved road." I love that description. Eventually every career reaches a place where the familiar road ends. At that moment we have two choices. We can wait for someone else to build the road or we can begin exploring.

Creative thinkers aren't fearless. They're simply willing to ask questions before they have every answer.

• What if this works?
• What if I already have transferable skills?
• What if my experience is actually my greatest advantage?

Questions expand possibilities. Fear narrows them.

Alma shared a fascinating perspective about walking into rooms where she often felt different from everyone else. Instead of allowing those differences to become insecurities, she eventually realized they were assets. I could identify with this, walking into a corporate situation as a performing artist. Sometimes it feels like we’re from different planets! However, different perspectives create better solutions. Different experiences generate better questions. Different backgrounds often become our greatest contribution.

Rather than asking, "Do I belong here?" Perhaps we should ask, "What perspective can only I bring to this conversation?" That's a completely different mindset and I’ve learned from experience how valuable it is, trusting my own leadership instincts.

Develop a Long View

One of Alma's recommendations was Peter Schwartz's classic book The Art of the Long View. The concept is simple but powerful.

• Stretch your thinking.
• Look beyond today's circumstances.
• Imagine multiple possibilities.

This isn't about predicting the future perfectly. It's about preparing your mind to recognize opportunities when they appear.

I often encourage people to broaden their inputs. Read books outside your field. Listen to podcasts from different industries. Attend conferences unrelated to your profession. Travel. Meet people with different perspectives. I often ask friends and colleagues about a favorite book they’ve recently read. I keep a running list that’s become quite helpful in expanding my perspective and resources for future reading and study.

Our minds become creative when they're exposed to new combinations of ideas. Innovation rarely comes from staying inside the same mental boundaries.

Think Like an Entrepreneur

One of the recurring themes in this conversation—and one I strongly believe in—is developing an entrepreneurial mindset. That doesn't necessarily mean starting a business. It means taking ownership. This can occur in most any position—whether working for yourself or for someone else.

Entrepreneurs naturally scan the horizon. They're constantly asking:

• Where is the market going?
• What problems need solving?
• What skills are becoming more valuable?
• What's changing?

They're students of people. Students of trends. Students of opportunity. Even if you're employed by someone else, this mindset creates tremendous value. Companies increasingly need employees who think beyond their job descriptions. Those individuals become leaders because they're already thinking like owners.

Solve Problems Instead of Selling Yourself

Another practical insight from our conversation was that consulting—or really any meaningful work—is about solving problems. That's true whether you're an entrepreneur, employee, speaker, coach, musician, or executive. People don't buy expertise. They buy solutions.

Instead of asking, "How do I market myself?" Ask, "What problem can I solve?" That subtle shift changes your entire approach. This is especially important for any entrepreneur in a creative field as those fields can be super self-focused.

Experience becomes valuable because it allows you to recognize patterns. Wisdom becomes valuable because it shortens someone else's learning curve. Purpose becomes valuable because people want to follow those who genuinely care about helping others succeed.

History gives us countless reminders of companies that failed to adapt. Kodak is perhaps one of the best-known examples. Ironically, Kodak, first selling materials designed for the printing industry in 1912, fueled the color revolution in books and magazines in the 1950’s and 60’s. They also helped invent digital photography with the first digital camera in 1975. Yet they struggled to embrace the very technology they had pioneered and were outmaneuvered by competitors.

Why did this happen? Because success sometimes creates complacency. That lesson applies personally as well. It's easy to keep improving skills that are gradually becoming less relevant. Instead, we should continually ask, "What skills will matter five years from now?" Learning isn't something we finish after graduation. It's the discipline that keeps us relevant throughout life.

Start Before You Feel Ready

Perhaps the greatest takeaway from my conversation with Alma was remarkably simple. Start.

• Don't wait until your confidence is perfect.
• Don't wait until circumstances become ideal.
• Don't wait until someone gives you permission. Just begin.
• Write the first article.
• Take the first course.
• Learn the new technology.
• Reach out to a mentor.
• Volunteer for the unfamiliar project.
• Record the first video.

Every meaningful journey begins with movement. Waiting rarely creates clarity. Action does.

Your Next Chapter Begins with a New Voice

The voice inside your head has tremendous influence over your future. Make sure it's speaking truth.

• Replace, "I'm too late." With, "I'm bringing decades of experience."
• Replace, "I'm not creative." With, "I can learn to think differently."
• Replace, "I'm an outsider." With, "My perspective adds value."
• Replace, "I've always done it this way." With, "What else is possible?"

At halftime, you're not starting over. You're building upon everything you've learned. The combination of your experience, your relationships, your transferable skills, and your willingness to continue learning may become your greatest competitive advantage.

Creative thinking isn't reserved for artists or inventors. It's available to anyone willing to ask better questions, challenge limiting beliefs, and continue growing. The insecure voices may never disappear completely. But they don't have to lead.

• Purpose can lead.
• Curiosity can lead.
• Confidence can grow.

And when you begin to unlearn the voices that have held you back, you'll discover something remarkable. Your next chapter isn't waiting for someone else to write it. You're already holding the pen. So start writing!

Additional Resources

More information about Alma: https://www.rev.la/agenda

The Summit: Journey to Hero Mountain by Deborah Johnson: an inspiring journey to conquer self-doubt, fear, and criticism, including the protagonist’s own inner critic.

Power of After: What's Next Can Be Your Most Purposeful Chapter by Deborah Johnson

Hero Mountain Summit: Power of After 5-Step Framework: A 5-month entrepreneurial mentorship designed to help mid-life professionals break free from stagnation and rise toward purposeful success.

FREE Downloads: Goal Setting Worksheets ; Power of After 7 Ingredients for Success Guide

FREE Resources and links: https://GoalsForYourLife.com/DJWorks

Deborah’s Music Products: https://djworksmusic.com/products/

YouTube Podcast Playlist (Subscribe!): Women at Halftime/Power of After

If you are interested in growing and learning, check out our online courses here: Online Learning

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Many people spend the first half of life building careers, raising families, paying bills, and pursuing opportunities. Yet at some point the questions begin to change. Instead of asking, “How can I earn more?” people begin asking, “How can I make a greater impact?” This shift is the heart of legacy-driven entrepreneurship. My parents were always generous, even though we didn’t have a lot of extras growing up. I specifically remember a young woman who came to live with us for several months. At the time, I thought she simply needed a place to stay. It wasn't until after she left that I discovered there were deeper reasons she had needed a safe haven. And this wasn't an isolated experience—it happened more than once.

As I reflect on legacy-driven entrepreneurship, I'm reminded that building a legacy extends far beyond business success. Sometimes it looks like opening your home, offering encouragement, creating opportunities, or simply providing a safe place for someone during a difficult season. There are countless ways to live out a legacy that impacts others long after the moment has passed.

The Power of Experience

If you are interested in growing and learning, check out our online courses here: Online Learning

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