Not Done Yet: A Podcast for Midlife Women

Rachel Perry
  • 5.0 (10)
  • Personal Journals

Not Done Yet is a podcast for midlife women who know their story isn’t finished. Through honest conversations about reinvention, purpose, and courage, this show will remind you that the life you’ve lived might be the very thing that leads you into what’s next.

Episodes

  1. 1d ago

    Ep 12- Nobody Told Us the Checklist Would Run Out

    Rachel cracks open a reel that's been quietly giving midlife women anxiety everywhere: the idea that after 50, the milestones just stop. Birthdays, graduations, the whole checklist — done. So now what? Rachel takes that fear head-on and names what's actually happening: the milestones haven't stopped, they've changed. This episode is about why "I don't know what I want" is protection, not confusion, and what it looks like to finally step into your own era. Rachel shares a conversation with her husband Mark that reframed everything, two downloads she woke up with that she couldn't keep to herself, and the real reason so many women are circling the same dream for years without ever letting it breathe. If you've been feeling like the exciting part of your life is behind you, this episode is your permission slip. In this episode: The reel that gave me (and probably you) anxiety: "after 50, the milestones stop" — and why that fear makes total senseWhat my husband Mark said over the weekend that reframed everything: the milestones aren't over, they're just yours to create nowWhy "I don't know what I want" is protection, not confusion — and the thing you keep coming back to at 2 am that proves itWhat I'm calling the You Era: the first era of your life where the milestones belong entirely to youThe client with a children's book series, my own scary pivot out of network marketing, and what we both had to stop doing to move forwardThe challenge I'm giving you this week: start dreaming, and name your milestonesWhat my friend said that I haven't been able to stop thinking about: "It's a new chapter. It's scary and unfamiliar, but it's just as meaningful."Mentioned in this episode: Not Done Yet Sessions (one-on-one conversations about the thing you keep dismissing, with a $200 credit for podcast listeners): rachelaperry.com/podcastspecialConnect with Rachel: Website: rachelaperry.comInstagram: @rachelaperryTikTok: @rachelaperryIf this episode landed for you, send it to your midlife sisters. The ones who are circling something. The ones who tell themselves they don't know what they want. She's not done yet either. I'd love for you to join me for my free summer series, Midlife Conversations. Sign up HERE.  Here's the lineup: June 15th at 7 PM/ET: Wanting More Isn't Selfish July 13th at 7 PM/ET: It's Okay to Dream at 50 August 17th at 7 PM/ET: The Thing You Keep Dismissing September 14th at 7 PM/ET: You're Not Done Yet

    21 min

  2. Jun 3

    Ep. 11 - Why Your Midlife Exhaustion Is Not Just Hormones with Sheri Johnson

    Rachel sits down with her friend Sheri Johnson, co-founder of Midlife Women Rising, for one of those conversations that starts with matching outfits and ends with you rethinking everything you believe about aging, exhaustion, and why you still can't say no. Sheri spent 20 years in corporate, hit 45, and decided there had to be another way. What she found was that the symptoms every midlife woman is blaming on hormones? Go a lot deeper than that. This one is personal, funny, a little uncomfortable, and completely necessary. In this episode: Why 40 can be the year everything happens at once (new house, new marriage, a miscarriage, a cancer diagnosis, a job that expects you to be on 24/7) and why so many of us just... push through anyway.The decision Sheri and her husband made to stop fertility treatments, and the grief, the relief, and the self-worth unraveling that came after.The belief Sheri had to untangle: that mothers are more worthy. And why it is not just a childless-women thing.Why the symptoms you are blaming on perimenopause (the exhaustion, the sleep issues, the constant overwhelm) are actually connected to cortisol, blood sugar, and the subconscious beliefs you have been carrying since before you knew to question them.The three-pronged approach Sheri and her sister Jen use with clients: physical, emotional, and spiritual. Because you cannot supplement your way out of a self-worth problem.What Thomas Edison has to do with why women feel guilty for taking a nap. (No, really.)Why the "I don't care what people think anymore" energy on social media is real for embarrassment, but shame is still running the show underneath.People pleasing as a stress response: why it is not a willpower problem, it is fawning, and your nervous system is in it with you.The quiz that will show you which midlife coping strategy is costing you the most, and what belief is underneath it.Rachel's very honest feelings about her period getting irregular, Sheri's equally honest response, and why "it feels like an ending" is also the beginning of something.The Spanx incident. The stage. The pantsuit. Sheri brought it up and honestly, it needed to be said.Why the word "midlife" makes some women cringe, and what that reaction is actually telling you about what you believe.Sheri's eight-day retreat to Peru and Machu Picchu in November, because some midlife decisions deserve to be made at altitude.Mentioned in this episode: Sheri Johnson and Jen: Midlife Women RisingMidlife Women Rising podcastSheri's quiz, which midlife coping strategy is costing you the most: midlifewomenrising.com/quizPeru retreat to Machu Picchu, November (limited spots): find Sheri @midliferisingConnect with Rachel: Website: rachelaperry.comInstagram: @rachelaperryTikTok: @rachelaperryIf there is a woman in your life who has been blaming everything on her hormones, share this episode with her. There is more going on. She deserves to know that. She is not done yet either. I'd love for you to join me for my free summer series, Midlife Conversations. Sign up HERE.  Here's the lineup: June 15th at 7 PM/ET: Wanting More Isn't Selfish July 13th at 7 PM/ET: It's Okay to Dream at 50 August 17th at 7 PM/ET: The Thing You Keep Dismissing September 14th at 7 PM/ET: You're Not Done Yet

    41 min

  3. May 27

    Ep. 10 - I Could Never" (And Other Lies Your Midlife Brain Tells You)

    In this episode, Rachel takes apart the phrase that quietly ends more midlife dreams than any other: "I could never." It feels like a fact. It's actually one of the lies your brain tells you, and Rachel makes the case that you're not lacking confidence at all, you're just lacking the belief that courage is enough. She gets honest about leaving her seven-figure partnership, the years she spent questioning that choice, and the truth she finally landed on: courage always goes first, and confidence only shows up after. In this episode: Why "I could never" isn't a fact, it's a feeling, and I'll show you the differenceThe thing I used to believe the women "doing the thing" had that I didn't (spoiler: they have nothing on you)What courage actually feels like in real life (hint: dropping stomach, shaking hands, the voice saying nope)The story of leaving my seven-figure partnership, and how long I questioned whether I'd made a horrible mistakeWhy I'm a little Delulu and think you should be tooThe hidden cost of staying stuck, and the midlife exhaustion nobody's connecting to self-denialThe 59-year-old woman who told me she finds it harder to believe in herself than in anybody elseThe one woman in my world who finally posted the thing, and what happened nextThe dark hallway, the light at the top, and why you only need to see one stepThe one small act of courage I want you to do this weekMentioned in this episode: Free midlife conversations Rachel hosts a couple times a month (find out by joining her email list or following her on social)One-on-one chats: a 90-minute session ($497) to figure out where you're dismissing yourself and what's next. Reach out on Instagram, TikTok, or email rachel@rachelaperry.comConnect with Rachel: Website: rachelaperry.comInstagram: @rachelaperryTikTok: @rachelaperryIf this one hit, share it with a midlife woman in your life who keeps saying, "I could never." She's not done yet either. I'd love for you to join me for my free summer series, Midlife Conversations. Sign up HERE.  Here's the lineup: June 15th at 7 PM/ET: Wanting More Isn't Selfish July 13th at 7 PM/ET: It's Okay to Dream at 50 August 17th at 7 PM/ET: The Thing You Keep Dismissing September 14th at 7 PM/ET: You're Not Done Yet

    23 min

  4. May 20

    Ep 9 - Pee, Portals, and Permission Slips: A Midlife Reinvention Pep Talk

    In this episode, Rachel cracks open the quietly destructive habit most midlife women don't even know they're doing: handing out permission slips for their own life. The "this might sound silly" cycle. Waiting for a coach, a partner, a parent to bless the idea before we move on it. Rachel connects self-dismissal and permission-seeking as the same thing in different outfits — and walks through what it actually looks like to stop. (She also opens with a Mother's Day story involving her husband, a hug, and a puddle. You've been warned.) In this episode: The Mother's Day moment that became a literal puddle on the floor (and the one rule no midlife woman should ever break)Why my own body had to stage a dramatic intervention to get my attention — and the signal you're ignoring right nowThe "this might sound silly" trap — why it's just permission-seeking in responsible-sounding clothesThe coaching call moment where one question — "well, why don't you?" — completely rewired what I thought I was allowed to doWhy waiting for someone else to validate your idea is actually how you avoid being accountable to itThe truth about why permission feels so safe: if it fails, it's not all your fault. If it works, you never fully owned it.How the "business divorce" eroded my trust in myself — and how I'm rebuilding it in real timeWhy I'm now trying and failing publicly on purpose (and what that's teaching me)The disclaimers we attach to our own dreams — "I mean, I don't know if it would ever get published, but…" — and why they have to goThe one question I want you to sit with this week: what are you still waiting for permission for, and whose permission is it really?Why midlife isn't your wrap-up season — it's the portal (and yes, I know "portal" sounds dorky, I'm working on a better word)Mentioned in this episode: The Not Done Yet Collective (free + paid community on Substack for midlife women who are not done yet): rachelaperry.com/collectiveConnect with Rachel: Website: rachelaperry.comInstagram: @rachelaperryTikTok: @rachelaperryIf something in this episode made you go oh… that's me, share it with the midlife woman in your life who's been waiting for someone to tell her she's allowed. Spoiler: she always was. She's not done yet either. I'd love for you to join me for my free summer series, Midlife Conversations. Sign up HERE.  Here's the lineup: June 15th at 7 PM/ET: Wanting More Isn't Selfish July 13th at 7 PM/ET: It's Okay to Dream at 50 August 17th at 7 PM/ET: The Thing You Keep Dismissing September 14th at 7 PM/ET: You're Not Done Yet

    25 min

  5. May 13

    Ep. 8 - The "Too Late" Lie Every Midlife Woman Tells Herself

    In this episode, Rachel pulls apart the one belief that quietly steals more midlife dreams than anything else: I'm too late. It feels like a fact. It's actually a story. And it's costing you the version of your life that's been waiting for you to show up for it. Rachel shares the moment she almost let the "too late" story stop her from stepping into the work she's doing now, why midlife is genuinely the most powerful season to build something that matters, and the risk most women never calculate: the cost of not trying. In this episode: Why "too late" isn't a fact, it's a story you've been told so many times you stopped questioning itThe moment Rachel almost let "Am I too old for this?" keep her from her most aligned work yet5 specific reasons midlife is your most powerful building season (not your wrap-up)The research that says women hit their creative and emotional peak in midlife (not their 20s)The risk you're not calculating: what it actually costs to wait one more yearReal women who decided "too late" wasn't going to be their story anymoreThe question that changes everything: what are you going to do with the time you have?Mentioned in this episode: The Not Done Yet Reset (free audio walkthrough + reflection guide): rachelaperry.com/notdoneyetThe Knowing: a private 8-week space for midlife women done dismissing what they keep coming back toConnect with Rachel: Website: rachelaperry.comInstagram: @rachelaperryTikTok: @rachelaperryIf this episode stirred something in you, share it with a midlife woman in your life who needs to hear it. She's not done yet either. I'd love for you to join me for my free summer series, Midlife Conversations. Sign up HERE.  Here's the lineup: June 15th at 7 PM/ET: Wanting More Isn't Selfish July 13th at 7 PM/ET: It's Okay to Dream at 50 August 17th at 7 PM/ET: The Thing You Keep Dismissing September 14th at 7 PM/ET: You're Not Done Yet

    24 min

  6. May 6

    Ep. 7 The Messy Middle Nobody Talks About When You Follow Your Heart

    What would change if you stopped waiting for someone else’s approval and just… did the thing? In this deeply personal episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on the story I've never fully told publicly, the one I wrote in a book chapter about giving myself permission to create. From a tiny kitchen moment at age five that quietly taught me staying small was safer than wanting things, to building a wildly successful six-figure business that felt like a golden cage, to five years in the wilderness of self-doubt and debt — this is the origin story behind everything. If you’ve ever felt like you needed someone else to say “yes” before you could move forward, this episode is going to hit different. What You’ll Hear in This Episode The moment at age 5 that taught me staying small was safer than wanting thingsHow I built a seven-figure business in a golden cage — successful on the outside, suffocating on the insideThe business divorce that led to five years in the wilderness of self-doubt and debtWhat my coach asked me  at 50 that cracked everything wide openWhy following your heart sometimes leads you straight into the messy middle — and why that’s actually part of the processKey Takeaways The rules you learned as a child about staying safe were never meant to follow you this farKeeping your dream “just far enough away” is a protection mechanism — and it’s costing youThe wilderness is not the end of the story. It’s the messy middle.You don’t need permission from anyone. The permission was always yours to give. Mentioned in This Episode Rachel is opening a very small group called The Knowing for midlife women who are done dismissing themselves and are ready to take action. Only 5 spots available. Email rachel@rachelaperry.com for details. If this episode resonated with you, please share it with a midlife woman in your life who needs to hear it. And don’t forget — you are not done yet. I'd love for you to join me for my free summer series, Midlife Conversations. Sign up HERE.  Here's the lineup: June 15th at 7 PM/ET: Wanting More Isn't Selfish July 13th at 7 PM/ET: It's Okay to Dream at 50 August 17th at 7 PM/ET: The Thing You Keep Dismissing September 14th at 7 PM/ET: You're Not Done Yet

    24 min

  7. Apr 29

    Ep. 6 - Boobs, Besties, And The “Who Am I” Spiral

    When was the last time you described something you did with the word "just" in front of it? I just raised my kids. I just managed the house. I just got through a really hard season. That word. That tiny, sneaky, completely devastating word. It's doing so much damage and I don't think you even notice when you're saying it anymore. Because here's the truth: you didn't just do anything. You have been building something for decades. You've been accumulating experience, resilience, wisdom, and perspective that most people would pay anything to have. And you've been treating it like a footnote. Not anymore. That's what today is about. In this episode we talk about: The voice that says who are you to be doing this — and why it's lying to you even when it sounds completely reasonableWhy wanting more for yourself is not selfish — and why that question underneath so much of what midlife women carry needs to be answered out loud once and for allThe real story behind "you can't pour from an empty vessel" — and why it's not just a coffee mug quoteWhat you've actually been building for the last 20 years that you've been completely dismissingThe specific skills you have right now that a 30-year-old literally cannot buy, borrow, or shortcut her way toThe who are you not to reframe — and why it changes everythingWhat happens in Not Done Yet Sessions when a woman finally hears someone say wait, can we go back to that — because what you just described is not a footnoteThe homework that's going to make you uncomfortable in the best possible wayCome hang out with me on Substack: https://substack.com/@rachelaperry Grab your free Not Done Yet Reset: rachelaperry.com/notdoneyet Connect with Rachel:  Instagram — @rachelaperry  TikTok — @rachelaperry  Website — rachelaperry.com If this episode hit home, share it with a midlife woman in your life who needs to hear it. She is not done yet either. 🔥 I'd love for you to join me for my free summer series, Midlife Conversations. Sign up HERE.  Here's the lineup: June 15th at 7 PM/ET: Wanting More Isn't Selfish July 13th at 7 PM/ET: It's Okay to Dream at 50 August 17th at 7 PM/ET: The Thing You Keep Dismissing September 14th at 7 PM/ET: You're Not Done Yet

    28 min

  8. Apr 22

    Ep. 5 - Your Spark Called. She Wants Her Life Back.

    Has the aliveness you used to feel about your own life gotten quieter? That forward-leaning sense that things were possible, that there were things you were genuinely excited about... it's just not as loud as it used to be. And underneath that quiet is a fear most women never say out loud: what if my spark is just gone? She's not gone. She didn't disappear. She didn't leave. She just got buried. And those are completely different things with completely different solutions. In this episode, we talk about: Why so many midlife women carry the quiet fear that their spark is gone — and why that fear makes complete sense even when it's not trueThe difference between a spark that disappeared and a spark that got buried — and why that distinction changes everythingHow the burying happens gradually, without you even noticing — the ideas filed away as not practical, the pulls toward something that got quieter with each layerWhy buried things don't disappear — they wait, patient and intact, for the moment you start to uncover themThe kite analogy — what it feels like to finally pull your real desire down from the sky and into your lap where it actually requires something from youWhat happens on calls when a woman hits the thing she's been protecting — and why her whole energy gives it away before her brain can talk her out of itWhy the spark you uncover might look a little different than it did at 32 — and why that's not loss, that's evolutionWhat to look for when you're trying to find your way back to her — the thing you talk about where your energy shifts, the idea that keeps coming back, no matter how many times you talk yourself out of itLinks mentioned in this episode: Not Done Yet Reset (free) — rachelaperry.com/notdoneyet Connect with Rachel: Instagram — @rachelaperry TikTok — @rachelaperry Website — rachelaperry.com Loved this episode? Share it with a midlife woman in your life who needs to hear it. She is not done yet either. I'd love for you to join me for my free summer series, Midlife Conversations. Sign up HERE.  Here's the lineup: June 15th at 7 PM/ET: Wanting More Isn't Selfish July 13th at 7 PM/ET: It's Okay to Dream at 50 August 17th at 7 PM/ET: The Thing You Keep Dismissing September 14th at 7 PM/ET: You're Not Done Yet

    27 min

  9. Apr 15

    Ep. 1- You're Not Done Yet - Welcome to the Movement

    If you've been feeling like something in your life is shifting... like everything looks fine on the outside, but something feels different on the inside... this episode is for you. Rachel Perry introduces the Not Done Yet movement, shares her own messy, real midlife reinvention story, and sets the tone for what this podcast is all about: community, courage, and the second act you didn't know you were ready for. In this episode: Why midlife feels so disorienting — and why that's actually a good signThe quiet questions so many women are asking: Is this it? When is it my turn?Rachel's three major pivots since turning 44 (including leaving a million-dollar partnership)Why we dismiss ourselves in midlife — and how to start listening to the nudge insteadWhat the Not Done Yet movement is and who it's forLinks & Resources: Free Not Done Yet Reset Clarity Guide → rachelaperry.com/notdoneyetDM Rachel on Instagram or TikTok → @rachelaperryLoved this episode? Share it with a midlife friend who needs to hear it. We need this community, and she needs to know she's not done yet either. I'd love for you to join me for my free summer series, Midlife Conversations. Sign up HERE.  Here's the lineup: June 15th at 7 PM/ET: Wanting More Isn't Selfish July 13th at 7 PM/ET: It's Okay to Dream at 50 August 17th at 7 PM/ET: The Thing You Keep Dismissing September 14th at 7 PM/ET: You're Not Done Yet

    15 min

  10. Apr 15

    Ep. 2 - Nobody Told Us It Would Be Like This

    Midlife is weird. There, she said it. In this episode, Rachel gets real about the transitions, the 2 a.m. wake-ups, the hormones, the grief, and the big feelings that come with this stage of life and why all of it is completely normal. If you've ever felt like you're starting over, questioning everything, or wondering when it's finally your turn, this one is for you. In this episode: Why Rachel is awake between 2 and 4 a.m. every night (and why her Apple Watch might be lying)The grief that can sneak into midlife, even over things you didn't expect to grieveAll the different transitions happening at once: kids leaving, divorce, retirement, career shifts, identity changesWhy midlife can feel like starting over, even when you're bringing decades of experience with youThe guilt that shows up when we ask, "When is it my turn?" and why you're allowed to ask itWhy you're not broken, ungrateful, or in crisis. You're waking up.How Gen X women carry both heavy baggage and serious resilienceThe self-dismissal pattern Rachel keeps seeing in midlife women (and a full episode on this coming soon)Links & Resources: Free Not Done Yet Reset Guide→ rachelaperry.com/notdoneyetDM Rachel on Instagram → @rachelaperryLoved this episode? Share it with a midlife friend who needs to hear that what she's feeling is completely normal. We're building this movement together, and she is absolutely not done yet. I'd love for you to join me for my free summer series, Midlife Conversations. Sign up HERE.  Here's the lineup: June 15th at 7 PM/ET: Wanting More Isn't Selfish July 13th at 7 PM/ET: It's Okay to Dream at 50 August 17th at 7 PM/ET: The Thing You Keep Dismissing September 14th at 7 PM/ET: You're Not Done Yet

    20 min

  11. Apr 15

    Ep. 3 - Why Your Boobs Are Lower And Your Dreams Are Louder

    Nobody warned us that midlife would feel like this. The body is changing, the roles are shifting, and somewhere in the middle of loading the dishwasher and the school drop-offs and the job that used to feel like enough, you're asking a question you haven't had time to ask in decades. Who am I now? In this episode, Rachel names the quiet identity evolution that most women are going through, but nobody is talking about, and why it might be the most important thing happening in your life right now. In this episode: Why the scaffolding of your identity starts to shift in midlife and what that actually meansThe moment you realize your roles don't define you the way they used toWhy "I don't know what I want" is often a protection mechanism, not confusionThe feelings that never get named out loud: restlessness, grief, guilt, invisibilityWhy staying in "I don't know" feels safer than naming what you actually wantThe difference between an identity crisis and an identity evolutionWhy this moment is not a sign that something is broken. It's a sign that something is waking up.The one question worth sitting with right now: who do you want to be in this next chapter?Links & Resources: Free Not Done Yet Reset → rachelaperry.com/notdoneyetFollow Rachel on Instagram and TikTok → @rachelaperryLoved this episode? Share it with a midlife friend who needs someone to finally name what she's been feeling. We're building this movement one conversation at a time, and she is absolutely not done yet. I'd love for you to join me for my free summer series, Midlife Conversations. Sign up HERE.  Here's the lineup: June 15th at 7 PM/ET: Wanting More Isn't Selfish July 13th at 7 PM/ET: It's Okay to Dream at 50 August 17th at 7 PM/ET: The Thing You Keep Dismissing September 14th at 7 PM/ET: You're Not Done Yet

    18 min

  12. Apr 15

    Ep. 4 - This Might Sound Silly But... (It Doesn't)

    You've said it this week. Maybe more than once. That little phrase that sneaks in before you share an idea, a dream, or even just a feeling. This might sound silly. I know it's probably not realistic. I could never do something like that, but. In this episode, Rachel names the pattern that is quietly costing midlife women more than they realize and why it has nothing to do with humility and everything to do with armor. In this episode: The many forms self-dismissal takes and why you probably don't even notice when you're doing itWhy "this might sound silly" is not humility. It's armor.The preemptive self-dismissal pattern and where it actually comes fromHow decades of caretaking, people pleasing and good girl conditioning trained you to shrinkWhy you're not just dismissing yourself... you're training the people around you to dismiss you too.The dream disclaimer and why it's the most heartbreaking form of self-dismissalWhy "maybe one day" is where dreams go to slowly dieThe one thing Rachel wants you to do this week (it's simpler than you think)A sneak peek at next week's episode about something you never actually lostLinks & Resources: Free Not Done Yet Reset → rachelaperry.com/notdoneyetFollow Rachel on Instagram and TikTok → @rachelaperryLoved this episode? Share it with the midlife friend who starts every sentence with "this might sound silly." She needs to hear this one. I'd love for you to join me for my free summer series, Midlife Conversations. Sign up HERE.  Here's the lineup: June 15th at 7 PM/ET: Wanting More Isn't Selfish July 13th at 7 PM/ET: It's Okay to Dream at 50 August 17th at 7 PM/ET: The Thing You Keep Dismissing September 14th at 7 PM/ET: You're Not Done Yet

    23 min
  • 12 Episodes

5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Not Done Yet is a podcast for midlife women who know their story isn’t finished. Through honest conversations about reinvention, purpose, and courage, this show will remind you that the life you’ve lived might be the very thing that leads you into what’s next.

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