Flourish After Fifty – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, Sue talks with coach and author Jane Moffett about her book What Next? The Savvy Woman’s Guide to Redefining Retirement, exploring how professional women can design life beyond traditional work on their own terms—blending purpose, identity, money realities, and joy.

They discuss why the word “retirement” feels so wrong for many women today, what Jane’s research with women in their 50s–70s reveals about timing and choice, and how real-life stories can help you see what’s possible for your own “what next.”

If you’re anywhere between “I’m never retiring” and “I have no idea what comes after this job,” this conversation will help you replace anxiety with curiosity, courage, and practical inspiration.

Key topics:

• Redefining retirement for women over 50
• The six-step process for designing your future
• The importance of identity, purpose, and connection
• Challenging traditional retirement stereotypes
• The role of mindset and community in transition
• Intergenerational relationships

Sue's guest in this episode is Jane Moffett, author and coach.

Website: http://www.kangaroocoaching.net

Jane’s book and book club notes are available here: https://kangaroocoaching.net/from-retired-to-redefined

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jane-moffett-11295826

A message from Sue:

This month, the Life On Your Terms program is starting on 21st April, 2026. It’s a six-week program for women who know it’s time for something to shift. Guided conversations help you define what matters to you and map out an actionable ‘Navigation Plan’ for your next chapter.

Find out more here: https://www.flourishafterfifty.com.au/life-on-your-terms-program

Get in touch: https://www.flourishafterfifty.com.au/contact-us

Sign up for weekly insights and bite-sized advice: http://www.flourishafterfifty.com.au/newsletter

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Most of us have a someday list. A version of ourselves we keep putting off until we feel more ready, more confident, or just a little less afraid. Kim Payne has spent years listening to women’s stories of change and learning what happens when women stop waiting for someday — and choose to act with courage instead.

In this special crossover episode — published on both the Flourish After Fifty and Courageous ME podcast feeds — I turn the microphone around. After more than 140 episodes of being the interviewer, Kim steps into the guest chair and shares her own story with raw honesty and warmth.

This is a conversation that sits right at the very intersection of courage, midlife, and what it means to write your next chapter on your terms. Grab your metaphorical pink ‘pom pom’.  This one's worth celebrating.

My guest in this episode was:

Kim Payne, keynote speaker, business mentor, podcast host and author:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimpayne9rok/

Website: https://kimpayne.com.au/

Courageous Me podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/courageous-me/id1689742406

The Courageous ME podcast episode featuring me, Sue West: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/54-the-power-of-reinvention-to-flourish-in-mid-life/id1689742406?i=1000657153376

Book: Courageous Me: The Courage to Turn Someday into Today: https://kimpayne.com.au/book

A message from Sue

I support women over fifty who feel stuck and ready for what’s next to rediscover who they are, clarify their next chapter, and create a life that truly feels like their own.

If you’re looking for support, you can work with me through:

Coaching: for women who want one‑on‑one support to go deep on a specific crossroads and move from feeling stuck to taking clear, confident action.

Life On Your Terms: a six‑week small‑group program for women who know something needs to change and are ready to map out what comes next.

The Flourish After Fifty Circle: a monthly online discussion group for women who love big ideas and want thoughtful, nourishing conversations as they navigate this stage of life.

Find out more here: https://www.flourishafterfifty.com.au/

Sign up for weekly insights and bite-sized advice: https://www.flourishafterfifty.com.au/newsletter

After twenty years of marriage, ABC broadcaster Hilary Harper found herself single - and curious about dating again. Her hit ABC podcast Dated: Love Online After 50 explores what happens when midlife meets modern romance. Hilary talks candidly about fear, discovery, and finding love again, offering hope and humour for anyone thinking it might be “too late.”

Guest: Hilary Harper, ABC Radio National

"Dated: Love Online After 50" (ABC)

"Love Matters: Heartwarming stories of finding love from the former host of the ABC radio show Life Matters" (Forthcoming book)

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A note from Sue West, host of Flourish After Fifty.

What If You Could…

✔ Feel clear about what matters most to you in this next stage of life?

✔ Discover a renewed sense of purpose that excites you every day?

✔ Build meaningful connections and a community that supports your growth?

✔ Confidently take action toward creating a life that feels authentic and fulfilling?

It’s all possible - and I’m here to help you make it happen.

Get in touch www.flourishafterfifty.com.au

Sign up for weekly insights and advice for incredible women like you www.flourishafterfifty.com.au/newsletter

Best-selling author and finance expert Bec Wilson calls midlife 'Prime Time'. It's a stage to reset, reimagine, and reclaim your power. Drawing on her bestselling book 'Prime Time: 27 Lessons for the New Midlife', Bec reveals how to master the six pillars of thriving after 45, from purpose and health to money and happiness. This is your invitation to make midlife your most epic chapter yet.

Guest: Bec Wilson www.becwilson.net

Books by Bec Wilson "Prime Time" www.amazon.com.au/Prime-Time-lessons-new-midlife/dp/0733652212 "How to Have an Epic Retirement" www.amazon.com.au/How-Have-Epic-Retirement-Wilson/dp/0733649963 Follow Bec's Podcast www.open.spotify.com/show/52wJibb1mCJxpE9EH2rp5c * * * * *

A note from Sue West, host of Flourish After Fifty.

What If You Could…

✔ Feel clear about what matters most to you in this next stage of life?

✔ Discover a renewed sense of purpose that excites you every day?

✔ Build meaningful connections and a community that supports your growth?

✔ Confidently take action toward creating a life that feels authentic and fulfilling?

It’s all possible - and I’m here to help you make it happen.

Get in touch www.flourishafterfifty.com.au

Sign up for weekly insights and advice for incredible women like you www.flourishafterfifty.com.au/newsletteru

Dr Katie Allen has lived multiple remarkable careers, from pioneering medical research to serving in federal parliament. In this episode, she takes us inside the moment she tore up her CV and jumped off the cliff into politics, driven by a desire to have an even greater impact through her work. Now living with stage four cancer, she speaks candidly about why the risk was unequivocally worth it and calls on women over fifty to back themselves and pursue their ambitions, no regrets.

Guest: Dr Katie Allen, medical researcher and former Member of the Australian Parliament

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-katie-allen/ Podcast - "An Apple a Week with Dr Katie Allen"

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A note from Sue West, host of Flourish After Fifty.

What If You Could…

✔ Feel clear about what matters most to you in this next stage of life?

✔ Discover a renewed sense of purpose that excites you every day?

✔ Build meaningful connections and a community that supports your growth?

✔ Confidently take action toward creating a life that feels authentic and fulfilling?

It’s all possible - and I’m here to help you make it happen.

Get in touch www.flourishafterfifty.com.au

Sign up for weekly insights and advice for incredible women like you www.flourishafterfifty.com.au/newsletter

Explore how to transform your birthday into a meaningful, joyful milestone with Tamar Hurwitz‑Fleming, author of How to Have a Happy Birthday. She invites you to consciously design celebrations that reflect who you are now and who you’re becoming, rather than relying on old habits, expectations or other people’s plans, especially when you’re facing those big “0” birthdays like turning 50, 60 or 70. This conversation is rich with practical ideas, warm personal stories and fresh ways of thinking about aging, helping you claim your birthday as a powerful moment to honour yourself at any age.

In this episode, we also discuss:

• The impact of early life experiences on birthday perceptions
• Overcoming birthday anxiety and negative emotions
• Using birthdays as a personal new year and reflection point.
• Practical strategies for celebrating yourself, especially those ‘0’ birthdays after fifty.

Sue's guest in this episode was: Tamar Hurwitz-Fleming

Tamar’s Website

‘How to Have a Happy Birthday’ (Book) - https://howtohaveahappybirthday.com/

Find Tamar on LinkedIn

A message from Sue:

I support women over fifty to navigate career and life changes. If you’re looking for support, you can work with me through:

• Coaching: for women who want one-on-one support as you navigate change.
• Life On Your Terms: a six-week program for women who know it’s time for something to shift. Guided conversations help you define what matters to you and map out an actionable ‘Navigation Plan’ for your next chapter.
• The Flourish After Fifty Circle: a monthly online discussion group that blends the best of a podcast club and a book club. It’s for women who want to explore big ideas, meaningful stories and real‑life transitions together.

Find out more here.

Sign up for weekly insights and bite size advice: http://www.flourishafterfifty.com.au/newsletter

Get in touch: sue@flourishafterfifty.com.au

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As life shifts in midlife—through career changes, new chapters, changing bodies or the end of long relationships—it’s easy to find that your clothes no longer feel like you. In this episode of Flourish After 50, Sue West talks with personal stylist and Style Rises founder, Lucy Owens, about what it means to dress for the woman you’re becoming, not the one you used to be.

Lucy shares her own journey from corporate leadership in Melbourne to running a global styling business from Spain, and how style became a tool for confidence, presence and self‑expression rather than just “looking put together.” Together, she and Sue explore simple, compassionate ways to realign your style with who you are now—starting with a few words that describe how you want to show up and one small visible change that shifts how you feel in your own skin.

Also covered in this episode:

• How midlife transitions (career shifts, relationship changes, menopause) can leave your style out of sync with who you are now.

• Why “I have nothing to wear” is often really “I don’t see myself in my clothes anymore.”
• Simple starting points to realign your style.
• How treating style as self‑expression and self‑respect can boost confidence, presence, and a sense of being truly seen after 50.

About Lucy Owens:

Lucy is a leading Personal Stylist and Image Consultant. With a background in senior corporate roles, including luxury fashion and hospitality brands, Lucy intimately understands the challenges women face when it comes to dressing with both authenticity and authority. Through her proven framework, she helps clients develop a signature style that aligns with their personal brand, boosts their confidence, and supports their leadership presence, so they not only look like leaders but feel like leaders.

• Bio
• Style Archetype Quiz
• Website -www.stylerises.com
• Million Dollar Style Program

A note from Sue West, host of Flourish After Fifty and coach for women navigating career and life transitions.

What If You Could...
✔ Feel clear about what matters most to you in this next stage of life?
✔ Discover a renewed sense of purpose that excites you every day?
✔ Build meaningful connections and a community that supports your growth?
✔ Confidently take action toward creating a life that feels authentic and fulfilling?
It’s all possible - and I’m here to help you make it happen.

Get in touch http://www.flourishafterfifty.com.au
Sign up for weekly insights and advice for incredible women like you http://www.flourishafterfifty.com.au/newsletter

In this episode, I have an honest conversation about friendship with my friend Sarah Hopkins. We share the joys and challenges of making new friends in our fifties and sixties and explore how vulnerability, authenticity, and courage can open the door to deeper connections and lasting joy. We discuss finding new friends, strengthening existing friendships, and letting go when a friendship no longer serves us. It is a heartfelt reminder that meaningful friendships can flourish at any life stage.

In this episode, we also discuss:

• The unnecessary shame associated with feeling lonely.
• The ‘liking gap’ and how it can get in the way when you meet new people.
• Mindsets that support friend-making.
• Starting small can lead to significant social connections.
• Trusting your instincts helps in finding the right friends.
• Investing time and effort is crucial for nurturing friendships.

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Guest: Sarah Hopkins

Find Sarah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-hopkins-9b4253100/

Resources

The book discussed in this episode is: “Just Friends: On The Joy, Influence and Power of Friendship” by Gyan Yankovich.

Sue’s Offerings Include

• Private Coaching
• Life on Your Terms Program
• Life Beyond Work Program

Connect with Sue

Website: https://www.flourishafterfifty.com.au/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sue-west-au/

Email: sue@flourishafterfifty.com.au

Sign up for weekly insights and advice for incredible women like you http://www.flourishafterfifty.com.au/newsletter

Raised on a remote Australian farm, Heather Cameron has lived through droughts, domestic violence, and reinvention. Her bestselling trilogy 'Never Underestimate a Woman' tells a story of courage and transformation. Heather shares how she found her voice and reclaimed her power - and she's now helping other women do the same.

Guest: Heather Cameron, author of 'Never Underestimate a Woman'

Lower Lila Retreat www.lowerlilaretreat.com.au

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A note from Sue West, host of Flourish After Fifty.

What If You Could...

✔ Feel clear about what matters most to you in this next stage of life?

✔ Discover a renewed sense of purpose that excites you every day?

✔ Build meaningful connections and a community that supports your growth?

✔ Confidently take action toward creating a life that feels authentic and fulfilling?

It’s all possible - and I’m here to help you make it happen.

Get in touch www.flourishafterfifty.com.au

Sign up for weekly insights and advice for incredible women like you www.flourishafterfifty.com.au/newsletter