Later But Louder™

Jena Jakiela
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Later But Louder™ is a podcast for women navigating the strange, emotional, and often unspoken realities of midlife. This is a space for conversations about: identity shifts reinvention purpose burnout relationships personal growth letting go of the past finding your voice again and becoming fully out loud in the second half of life Through reflections, manuscript excerpts, real-life experiences, and honest conversations, Jena explores what it means to stop quietly fading into the background and start living with more meaning, clarity, courage, and authenticity. Because midlife isn’t the end of your story. It may finally be the beginning of the life that actually feels like you.

Episodes

  1. May 19

    Too Late? We're Just Getting Started

    Is it too late to create the life you really want in midlife? In this short channel trailer, I share honestly about hitting an unexpected midlife wall, questioning who I am, and choosing to look for a more authentic, fulfilling second half of life. If you’re a woman in your 40s, 50s, or beyond who has “a good life on paper” but feels like something is off or missing, this space was created with you in mind. I know what it’s like to overcome big life challenges, only to be surprised by a new one you never saw coming: midlife itself. When this season forces you to re-evaluate who you are, what matters, and how to move forward, it can feel confusing, discouraging, and isolating. On Later But Louder, I’m on a mission to face this “biggest challenge yet” and make the very best of life from here. Together, we’ll explore how to: Redefine who you are in midlife and beyond Navigate unexpected life changes and transitions Heal from past challenges while creating something new Imagine and build the life you actually want for yourself If you’ve been wondering whether it’s too late to start over, I hope this video reminds you that you’re not alone—and that it’s absolutely possible to create a meaningful, joyful next chapter. Join me on this journey to discover what’s possible for you now.

    Too Late? We're Just Getting Started

  2. May 19

    Are You Feeling "Old, Washed-Up and Obsolete"?

    Are you in midlife and secretly wondering, “Is this all there is?” Maybe you did everything “right,” survived the hard seasons, raised people, worked hard, overcame things no one saw, and still woke up feeling old, invisible, washed up, or unsure who you are now. This episode is for women in midlife who are navigating identity shifts, regret, perimenopause, body changes, and the uncomfortable feeling that life is passing by. I’m not here with fake hype. I’m here to say: you are not obsolete. You may be in the middle of becoming someone new. In this episode, I talk about: Why midlife can feel like an identity crisis Why “washed up” is often grief, not truth Why women over 45 need honest conversations about starting over How Later, But Louder is becoming a space for women ready to be visible again If this hit something real, visit the group discussion and comment with one word for what midlife feels like right now. Subscribe to Later, But Louder for honest conversations about women in midlife, starting over after 40 or 50, identity shifts, perimenopause, confidence, purpose, and creating a louder second act. #midlifecrisis #womenover40 #womenover50 #startingover #midlifereinvention

    Are You Feeling "Old, Washed-Up and Obsolete"?

  3. May 20

    Did Midlife Hit You Like A Shovel?

    Just when you think you've got it all figured out...midlife hits. Maybe you've been through all the changes, all the growth... Done all the self-reflecting and "looking inward". Maybe even fone through experiences no one should have to face. You thought you'd done the work. You thought you had come to terms with your identity. But along the way, a new one crept up on you, and caused the biggest identity shift yet...Midlife. Join me as we unpack this and learn that midlife is the beginning, not the end. Buckle up. We're going into this chapter later...but louder.

    Did Midlife Hit You Like A Shovel?

  4. May 20

    The Midlife Lie That's Hurting You

    Are midlife stereotypes quietly shaping how you see yourself… without you even realizing it? Women are told that midlife means slowing down, fading out, becoming less relevant… less visible… less you. Or we're told that we should be wild, crazy "Gen X" women who are somehow "lesser than" if we have emotions like fear or sadness. But what if those beliefs aren’t just wrong—what if they’re actually keeping you stuck, disconnected, and questioning yourself? In this episode, we’re breaking down: The most common stereotypes about women in midlife Why they’re more harmful than they seem How they subtly impact your identity, confidence, and sense of direction Because if you’ve been feeling “off”… like something doesn’t quite fit anymore… it might not be you. It might be the story you’ve been handed. I’ll be diving deeper into the real patterns behind this in my upcoming videos—because what’s happening in midlife is not what most people think.

    The Midlife Lie That's Hurting You

  5. May 20

    [Midlife Women] What's Living Rent-Free In Your Head?

    A lot of women hit midlife and quietly feel like they’ve lost themselves. Not dramatically. Not all at once. Just a growing feeling that something feels “off.” In this episode, I talk about the first of five major patterns I see in women struggling with midlife identity, purpose, and emotional disconnection: Living in the past. Holding onto: old mistakes failed relationships old identities regrets “what if?” thinking …can quietly keep us emotionally stuck long after life has moved on.

    [Midlife Women] What's Living Rent-Free In Your Head?

  6. May 20

    Forgiveness

    A viewer asked me a really thoughtful question after the last podcast episode, part 1 of "5 Things Keeping You STUCK in Midlife". The question was... “What if the person you can’t forgive… is yourself?” And honestly, that question stopped me in my tracks. Because it just so happens I’ve been writing about this exact issue in my upcoming manuscript. So instead of typing a quick reply, I wanted to sit down and talk about it. Sometimes the hardest person to offer grace to is the version of ourselves that made mistakes, hurt people, stayed too long, chose poorly, or simply didn’t know better at the time. This is a conversation about regret, self-forgiveness, letting go of the past, and learning how to move forward without carrying old versions of ourselves forever. We’re all doing this work together.

    Forgiveness

  7. May 22

    [Midlife Women] Are YOU "The Definition of Crazy"?

    In this episode of Later But Louder™, Jena dives into another hidden pattern that keeps so many women stuck in midlife — feeling disconnected from who they used to be, uncertain about who they’re becoming, and quietly wondering if it’s too late to reinvent themselves. If you’ve been going through the motions while feeling restless, invisible, emotionally exhausted, or unsure of your next chapter… this conversation is for you. This isn’t about pretending midlife is effortless. It’s about recognizing the identity shifts happening beneath the surface — and learning how to move through them with honesty, courage, and purpose. You are not washed up. You are not obsolete. And your story is not over. ✨ Subscribe for honest conversations about midlife, identity, reinvention, and living fully out loud. #LaterButLouder #MidlifeWomen #MidlifeTransformation #WomenOver40 #WomenOver50 #IdentityShift #PersonalGrowth #SecondAct #ReinventYourself #MidlifeJourney

    [Midlife Women] Are YOU "The Definition of Crazy"?

  8. May 28

    Midlife Women: Isn't It Time We LOSE This?

    What if the problem isn’t that you’re “failing” at midlife… What if you’ve simply been carrying identities that were never fully YOU? In this episode, I talk about one hidden pattern that quietly keeps many women feeling stuck in midlife: the tendency to wear labels, roles, and expectations for so long that they begin to feel like our identity. Maybe you became: the responsible onethe caretakerthe strong onethe peacekeeperthe achiever…until one day you look around and wonder where you went. This isn’t about blaming yourself. And it’s not about pretending life hasn’t shaped you. It’s about beginning to question whether the version of yourself you’ve been carrying still fits the life you want moving forward. If midlife has left you feeling emotionally “off,” disconnected, exhausted, or unsure who you are anymore… this conversation is for you. If this resonates, follow the podcast and share this episode with another woman who may need to hear that maybe… it’s NOT her. #Midlife #MidlifeWomen #IdentityShift #LaterButLouder #SelfDiscovery #WomenOver40 #WomenOver50 #PersonalGrowth #MidlifeTransformation #EmotionalWellness

    Midlife Women: Isn't It Time We LOSE This?

  9. Jun 2

    The Dreams You Buried May Not Be Dead Yet

    What dreams did you quietly bury while you were busy surviving, working, parenting, rebuilding, or just getting through life? In this episode, I talk about one of the reasons women can feel stuck in midlife: somewhere along the way, we may lose sight of what we were aiming for. Old dreams get shoved aside. Creative desires go quiet. Goals that once felt exciting get buried under responsibility, grief, family changes, career demands, or other people’s expectations. But buried does not always mean dead. Some dreams may need to be released. Some may need to be reshaped. And some may still be waiting for you to revive them in a form that fits who you are now. This conversation is for women in midlife who feel restless, aimless, disconnected, or quietly aware that something in their life needs to change — even if they’re not sure what yet. In this episode, I invite you to ask: What did I used to want? What do I still want? What no longer fits? What do I want life to look like from here? And what target am I actually aiming for now? Later But Louder™ is for women who are ready to stop shrinking, stop drifting, and start creating a second half that actually feels like theirs.

    The Dreams You Buried May Not Be Dead Yet

  10. Jun 9

    "I Thought I Already HAD My Midlife Crisis!"

    Have you ever felt like you already did the hard work? Like you already survived the heavy things, rebuilt yourself, figured out who you were, and came out the other side… only for midlife to show up and ask you to figure yourself out all over again? In this episode, I share a piece of the manuscript I’ve been working on and talk about a part of midlife I don’t think gets discussed enough: what happens when this is not your first identity crisis. Maybe you’ve already faced loss, grief, family rupture, divorce, adoption or parentage questions, trauma, caregiving, single parenting, career upheaval, or some other life event that forced you to grow, change, heal, and become someone new. And then midlife hits. Your body changes. Your energy changes. Your priorities shift. The future suddenly feels closer. Life may look “fine,” but something inside feels unsettled. And you think: Wait. I already did this. Why does this one hurt so much? This episode is for the woman who thought she had already done the work — and then discovered that midlife hits different.

    "I Thought I Already HAD My Midlife Crisis!"

  11. Jun 11

    You've Done All the Work. So Why Are You Still Stuck?

    You've read the books. You've done the self-reflection. You've spent years trying to understand yourself and figure out why life feels different than you expected. So why do you still feel stuck? This is Part 5 of my 5 Reasons You're Stuck in Midlife series. In this episode, I explore one of the most overlooked reasons women remain trapped in a midlife slump: the gap between knowing what needs to change and actually taking action. I've been there myself. Sometimes we're not lacking insight. We're not lacking awareness. We've done the work. What we're struggling with is taking that first small step forward. If you've ever felt like you've done everything "right" but still aren't where you want to be, this conversation is for you. I'll also share a preview of where we're headed next as I begin opening up about my own midlife journey and the experiences that shaped Later But Louder. 📥 Get my FREE Midlife Reinvention Kit: Request It Here I'd love to hear your thoughts. What's one thing you've known needed to change—but haven't taken action on yet?

    You've Done All the Work. So Why Are You Still Stuck?

  12. Bonus

    Forgiveness - Part 2

    This is the bonus Part 2 episode of my thoughts on Forgiveness. In part 1, I went into WHY it is crucial to forgive yourself. If you haven't listened to that episode, please do this first. In this short follow-up, I tackle some ways to explain the HOW. HOW do we practice self-forgiveness? Please keep in mind that this is not therapy, but I hope these strategies will be helpful in recognizing that despite "wrongs" of the past, self-forgiveness is essential to stop beating yourself up over past events so you can look forward to the future.

    Forgiveness - Part 2
  • 12 Episodes

About

Later But Louder™ is a podcast for women navigating the strange, emotional, and often unspoken realities of midlife. This is a space for conversations about: identity shifts reinvention purpose burnout relationships personal growth letting go of the past finding your voice again and becoming fully out loud in the second half of life Through reflections, manuscript excerpts, real-life experiences, and honest conversations, Jena explores what it means to stop quietly fading into the background and start living with more meaning, clarity, courage, and authenticity. Because midlife isn’t the end of your story. It may finally be the beginning of the life that actually feels like you.

Information

  • Creator
    Jena Jakiela
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Later But Louder 2026
  • Show Website
    Later But Louder™