Reclaiming Visibility, Power, and Presence for Women Over 50 with Barbara Brooks and Julie Ciardi Is midlife a diminishing season or an ignition point? In this powerful double-feature conversation, Kelly talks with Barbara Brooks and Julie Ciardi about age, reinvention, visibility, ambition, and the deeper call many women feel in the second half of life. Barbara shares how ageism at 51 led her to build a movement around experience as power, while Julie reflects on leaving IBM to pursue work that felt more aligned with who she was meant to be. Together, they challenge the narrative that women become less relevant with age. They explore why experience is a business asset, why visibility should match your goals rather than social media trends, how ambition evolves in midlife, and why caring for the body becomes part of the work. At the heart of the episode is a clear message: you are not finished, your voice matters, and it may be time to stop waiting. Key Takeaways: Why age is an asset, not a disadvantage“Middlescence,” the gold age, and reframing the second half of lifeHow visibility changes when you start leading from substanceWhy owning your value is essential before others can value itThe evolution of ambition from proving yourself to serving something biggerThe physical realities of midlife and the need to care for the body alongside the missionFear, conformity, and the courage to use your voice anywayWhy legacy work often begins when you stop waiting Chapters 00:00 | Introduction to Empowering Women in Middlescence 03:25 | Barbara Brooks: The Birth of a Mission 05:09 | Julie Ciardi: A Transformational Moment 07:35 | Redefining Midlife: Middlescence 11:20 | Visibility Differently: How to do it Right 19:15 | The Evolution of Ambition 23:54 | The Responsibility of Legacy Work 24:24 | Facing the Challenges of New Beginnings 26:00 | The Importance of Self-Care 27:17 | Listening to Our Bodies 30:03 | Emerging Convictions and Niche Drama 31:04 | The Power of Female Voices 33:32 | Age as an Asset 35:12 | Valuing Our Experience 36:34 | Embracing Uniqueness and Overcoming Fear 37:50 | Taking Action and Living Fully Guests Barbara Brooks is a nationally recognized entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and founder of SecondActWomen. Through her Experience Is Power platform, she helps organizations unlock the business value of experienced talent across a five-generation workforce. A bold advocate for age inclusion and workforce performance, Barbara has been featured by Forbes, Fast Company, CBS Colorado, PBS Next Avenue, and NBC 9News. She believes beauty knows no age, value has no expiration date, and experience is power. https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbaralbrooks/ barbarabrooks.com and secondactwomen.com https://barbarabrooks.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@BarbaraBrooks Julie Ciardi is the author of 50 Not Finished, a former IBM exec turned 7-figure founder & a mom of three. She is navigating midlife & the adult-children phase of motherhood. There is a big gap in the current menopause conversation - all health, all aesthetics, no “what’s next?” Julie believes that midlife is the start of the Gold Age - not Old Age. She is an advocate for women near or over 50 ready to do their legacy work. Julie rewrote the entire Human Design system by a woman for women to help them get clarity in their midlife calling. She is a Substack Best Seller & runs a global mentorship company for midlife women. https://www.julieciardi.com/ https://substack.com/@julieciardi https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/substack-by-design/id1882801640 https://www.instagram.com/julieciardi/ Host Kelly Dwyer is an executive coach, facilitator, and host of Life from Within, a podcast exploring the inner work of leadership, growth, and career transition. She works with thoughtful leaders, founders, and seasoned professionals who are navigating complexity, change, and meaningful inflection points in their work. Through her coaching, facilitation, and podcast conversations, Kelly helps people find clarity, strengthen self-trust, and move forward with greater intention and grounded conviction. https://kellydwyer.co Listen and subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube IG – @kd_lifefromwithin LinkedIn – /in/kellydwyer