Couverture de The Wobbly Middle: Women's Careers In Midlife

The Wobbly Middle: Women's Careers In Midlife

The Wobbly Middle: Women's Careers In Midlife

De : Patsy Day | Women's careers in midlife
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 Patsy quit her job. Susannah quit the city. Now they’re on a quest to find the path through the wobbly middle of their careers. The Wobbly Middle explores the moment when ambition returns, and women begin actively questioning their direction. It's that in-between space where we know we want change but don't know how to move forward, making visible a stage in our lives rarely reflected in mainstream career media. This podcast is for every woman who’s asking “What now?”.© 2025 The Wobbly Middle Direction Economie Management et direction Réussite personnelle Sciences sociales
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  • From Teacher's Desk to Therapist's Couch: A Midlife Career Change | Carri Simmons

    From Teacher's Desk to Therapist's Couch: A Midlife Career Change | Carri Simmons
    Feb 17 2026
    A career pivot story about retraining as a psychologist after a career break — for women starting over in midlife.What happens when you realise the career you built isn't the life you want? Carri Simmons spent years as a drama teacher until the toll of staying in the wrong role became impossible to ignore. "I had to leave because I wasn't able to be open to the world because I was in fight or flight. I was in a trauma mode."In this episode, Patsy talks to her long-distance bestie about walking away from teaching, going back to university as a mother of three, and retraining as a psychologist in South Africa. It's about believing that there IS something more for you.If you've ever wondered whether it's too late to start again, this one's for you.SummaryCarri Simmons was a drama teacher who loved her subject but found herself stuck in fight-or-flight mode, unable to grow in a role that no longer fitted. In her wobbly middle, she made the bold decision to return to university as a mature student and mother of three, retraining as a psychologist. Now practising in South Africa, Carri's story is proof that the most uncertain-feeling decisions can lead to the most rewarding outcomes.About CarriCarri Simmons is a practising psychologist based in South Africa. A former drama teacher and mother of three, she returned to university in midlife to retrain — earning her psychology qualification and building a new career from scratch. She and Patsy are long-distance friends who share a belief that it's never too late to change direction.Key TopicsThe emotional and physical toll of staying in the wrong careerRecognising fight-or-flight mode as a signal that something needs to changeGoing back to university as a mature student with childrenThe power of incremental steps - trying things out before you leapBeing open to possibilities even when the path isn't clearBuilding a new professional identity in midlifeLinksSubscribe to the newsletter: https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep24-carri-simmonsFind out more about The Wobbly Middle: https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com/about?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep24-carri-simmonsThe Wobbly Middle on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-wobbly-middle/id1767850643The Wobbly Middle on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4YhwsBch8Q9vAOUBBfusIvWhere to Follow Carrihttps://www.instagram.com/carri_simmons_psychologist/---If You Enjoyed This EpisodeYou might also love Season 3 Episode 3 with Julianne Miles. Where Carri tells the deeply personal story of going back to university and retraining from scratch, Julianne explores the science behind career returns — including neuroplasticity, transferable skills and lighting up the pathways. Together, they're two sides of the same coin: the courage to start again, and the evidence that we are still learning and growing.---Help Us GrowIf this episode resonated with you, there are two simple ways you can make a real difference:Leave a review here — it only takes a moment, and it's one of the best ways to help new listeners find the show. Every review counts.Share this episode with a friend — if you know someone who might be in their own wobbly middle, send them this one. Sometimes knowing you're not alone is all it takes.Want more from Patsy between episodes? Subscribe to the newsletter — it's where the conversation continues: https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep24-carri-simmonsNew to The Wobbly Middle? Find out what we're all about: https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com/about?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep24-carri-simmonsThank you for listening and for supporting independent podcasters.---
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    Indisponible
  • Returner's Luck - And how to make it

    Returner's Luck - And how to make it
    Feb 3 2026

    Psychologist and founder Julianne Miles lets us in on what makes people lucky, gives me hope about neuroplasticity (my personal favourite!), and shares the research on how work and family can be allies rather than competing demands.

    Julianne knows firsthand what it takes to return to work after a break: she went back to university to retrain as a psychologist, and from there co-founded Career Returners, a social impact enterprise and community dedicated to making career breaks a valued part of a lifetime career. Along the way, she’s also shaped how employers and policymakers think about return-to-work practices.

    Whether you’re just considering a return or already taking steps, this conversation will make you think differently about luck, opportunity, and starting again.

    Thank you for listening to The Wobbly Middle, a podcast for women rethinking their careers.

    IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR please follow, share and leave a review.

    RETURN JOURNEY: You can find Julianne’s book Return Journey How to get back to work and thrive after a career break here https://careerreturners.com/return-journey-book/

    And here is more information on the free or pay-if-you-can Career Returners Professional Community:

    https://community.careerreturners.com/

    JOIN THE CONVERSATION: NEW EPISODES drop every second Tuesday. Follow now so you never miss an episode.

    SHARE YOUR STORY: Made a left turn in your career? We’d love to hear about it. Write to Patsy at patsy@thewobblymiddle.com — your story might just be the nudge someone else needs.

    SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER: thewobblymiddle.substack.com

    READ MORE SUBSTACK: thewobblymiddle.substack.com

    FOLLOW US on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook @thewobblymiddle

    ABOUT THE HOST: Patsy Day is a lawyer on a break. As an intellectual property specialist, she has worked on everything from anti-counterfeiting to publishing and from London to Ho Chi Minh City and back again. Patsy lives in Oxford and is currently immersed in podcasts producing SafeHouse Amsterdam alongside The Wobbly Middle.

    This episode was produced by Patsy Day. Studio recording by The Pod Collective.
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    22 min
  • Pin It To Win It: The Neuroscience of Vision Boards

    Pin It To Win It: The Neuroscience of Vision Boards
    Jan 28 2026
    Pin It To Win It: The Neuroscience of Vision Boards

    Bonus Episode: Investigative wellness journalist Rebecca Newman (Financial Times, The Guardian, GQ) draws on the work of neuroscientist Dr Tara Swart, author of The Source, to explain what’s going on in our brains when we make an action board and how they sharpen our sight line through the wobbly middle.

    Then we head to the craft room, where theory meets practice - or rather, where scissors and glue meet cork board - as we make our own boards.

    They are a way of keeping our goals front and centre, something we live with. A daily point of orientation, keeping us facing forward.

    If you enjoyed this episode

    If you enjoyed this bonus episode, check out our [] we opened the mailbag to respond our subscribers (occasionally panic-tinged) everywoman questions about navigating the midlife career odyssey.

    And if you like what you hear, please follow, share and leave a review.

    THE WOBBLY MIDDLE is a podcast for women rethinking their careers.

    JOIN THE CONVERSATION: NEW EPISODES drop every second Tuesday. Follow now so you never miss an episode.

    SHARE YOUR STORY: Made a left turn in your career? We’d love to hear about it. Write to Patsy at patsy@thewobblymiddle.com — your story might just be the nudge someone else needs.

    SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER: thewobblymiddle.substack.com

    READ MORE SUBSTACK: thewobblymiddle.substack.com

    FOLLOW US on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook @thewobblymiddle

    ABOUT THE HOST: Patsy Day is a lawyer on a break. As an intellectual property specialist, she has worked on everything from anti-counterfeiting to publishing and from London to Ho Chi Minh City and back again. Patsy lives in Oxford and is currently immersed in podcasts producing SafeHouse Amsterdam alongside The Wobbly Middle.

    THANK YOU: This episode was produced by Patsy Day and Rebecca Newman. Studio recording by The Pod Collective. Thank you also to St Bernard’s Road Craft Room and to Luke Rogers. .
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    18 min
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