I got back from the pub riding high.
My daughter’s last day of primary school. Party. Tears. Water fight. Ice cream.
A proper life highlight reel kind of day.
Except I forgot one minor thing:
My newsletter.
Not finished. Not scheduled.
“No big deal,” I thought. “I’ll knock it out Wednesday.”
Then I woke up violently ill.
No food. No water.
NO COFFEE.
I didn’t drink coffee for 4 days. That’s how serious this was.
Turns out my darling husband brought home a gift: a stomach bug from hell.
So instead of smashing client strategy or reorganizing the garage (my twisted version of rest), I laid in bed, nauseous and bored out of my mind.
And here’s the thing about forced stillness:
Your brain gets loud.
That’s when it hit me – how different life is now.
Not just logistically. Existentially.
This August, I’m slowing down on purpose.
Because I finally can.
Because I’m no longer who I was.
And neither are you.
Quote of the Week
“When you know yourself, you are empowered. When you accept yourself, you are invincible.”
Tina Lifford
The Identity Shift You Only Understand in Hindsight
A career change at 40 isn’t just a logistical transition.
Leaving corporate doesn’t just free your calendar.
It changes who you are and how you see yourself.
Not in a “go girl boss yourself” kind of way, but in a deep-systems-reboot kind of way.
Here’s what shifted for me – and what might be waiting for you:
1. “What do you do?” finally has a real answer
Not “MD at Bank ABC”
Now? You say what you actually do in language other humans understand.
And you say it without shrinking.
2. You protect your calendar like it’s your blood pressure
No more asking if you’re allowed to take a day off.
You build in breathing room on purpose.
For brain-fog, sick days, school pickups and spontaneous coffees.
Time boundaries that regulate your nervous system.
3. You stop outsourcing your power
No more waiting for the nod.
No “Let’s circle back.” or “This needs to go through legal.”
It’s your move.
You get to decide.
And boy, does it feel good!
4. You charge for the clarity, not the keyboard hours
Corporate taught you to do more.
Entrepreneurship rewards you for knowing better.
Thinking is your asset now.
And packaging your brain into frameworks?
That’s where the money lives.
5. You start vetting clients like a seasoned bouncer
You used to hope to be chosen.
Now you choose.
Sounds flaky? No thanks.
Seems to be a nightmare to work with? Pass.
Dream client who gets it? Yes – but on your terms and within your boundaries.
6. You become the quiet authority
You’re known because you deliver.
Suddenly, people show up in your inbox asking if they can work with you.
People trust you behind closed doors.
When someone asks, “Who’s the best at this?” – your name comes up.
Your credibility earned in rooms you didn’t even know you were being talked about in.
7. You stop playing the busy game
You used to equate hours with output.
Now you ask better questions:
- “Can this be systemised?”
- “Can I delegate this without drama?”
Efficiency becomes your word.
“Midlife is when you finally get your head out of your ass long enough to hear your heart.”
— Me, in the throes of stomach flu clarity
🔦 Spotlight Offer
Book a 30-min Strategy Call to clarify the business version of you that aligns with who you are now.
Whether you’re shedding the corporate shell or still mid-transition, this call will surface your marketable magic and next-step moves.
Only 5 spots available this month.
🗾️ Book your clarity call today → [Insert Booking Link]
OWN IT
You don’t just leave corporate.
You shed that identity.
The hierarchy.
The approval-seeking.
And what’s left?
The most powerful version of you.
Unapologetically yours.
Weekly Action Plan
✅ Offer-Build: Book your discovery call above. Get help articulating what you actually do now.
✅ Visibility: Update your LinkedIn headline to reflect the version of you who isn’t hiding behind a title.
✅ Pipeline: Email 3 people in your network and share your “identity shift”. Invite conversation.
✅ Mindset: Journal this: What’s one piece of the old corporate self I’m done carrying?
Want to keep building the business that matches her?
You’re already on your way.
Claudia