The Wobbly Middle: Women's Careers In Midlife

Women in midlife came of age between punk and the Spice Girls. That spirit doesn't leave you. If you're returning to work after a career break, rebuilding career confidence, or just need a shot of self-belief, Jacquie and Rebecca will have you powering up.
Jacquie Duckworth worked in the media on iconic brands ranging from Country Life to FHM, Grazia, and the Times before co-founding Visible Start, a free 10-week career returner programme. Rebecca Byrne is one of its graduates: a former actor and NCT trainer who now works in community health — and someone who had, as she puts it, "never worked in an office." Together, they bring verve, wit, and a fierce refusal to accept that midlife women should settle for invisibility.
This conversation crackles with energy. We talk about why ageism at work is a commercial own goal, why transferable skills from life outside the office are exactly what employers need, and why a midlife career pivot is not starting over — it's building forward. If you're navigating a career break, wondering whether you still have a place at the table, or simply need reminding that your best work may still be ahead of you — this one's for you.
Thank you to our sponsor AJ BELL MONEY MATTERS
Thank you to AJ Bell Money Matters for supporting this episode. The AJ Bell Money Matters podcast is created for women by women featuring news, information and inspiring interviews to help build your knowledge and confidence around finances. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Please click here to show support of our podcast and to find out more about AJ Bell:
https://www.ajbell.co.uk/investment/women-and-investing?utm_source=moneymatters&utm_medium=partnership&utm_campaign=wobblymiddle
Links
Visible Start: https://www.visiblestart.com
Subscribe to the newsletter: https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep26-jacquie-duckworth-rebecca-byrne
Find out more about The Wobbly Middle: https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com/about?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep26-jacquie-duckworth-rebecca-byrne
The Wobbly Middle on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-wobbly-middle/id1767850643
The Wobbly Middle on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4YhwsBch8Q9vAOUBBfusIv

If You Enjoyed This Episode
You might also love our conversation with Nina Van Schaick in Season 1, Episode 3. A midwife who witnessed firsthand the failures in maternal care — and decided to do something about it. With less than 2% of pharmaceutical R&D dedicated to maternal health, Nina didn't wait for permission. She took action herself. Another woman who saw a gap, backed herself, and built something. Sound familiar?
Help Us Grow
If 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.

Thank you for listening and for supporting independent podcasters.

Comedy as a midlife career move — and why humour is one of the most powerful tools for change.
What if the thing that makes you funny is the same thing that makes you powerful? Journalist, author and activist, Lynn Harris, has spent three decades using comedy to drive cultural change. From co-creating the cult 1990s superhero Breakup Girl, Lynn has now founded Gold Comedy, an online comedy school where women in their 40s and 50s are bringing the most fire.
In this conversation, Lynn and Patsy talk about the gender gap in comedy; who gets to talk and who has to listen; why "exposure" doesn't pay the bills, and how your transferable skills are the Candyland board that will take you places.
Lynn's message: if you're curious about developing your sense of humor, you don't have to change who you are in order to be funny… Don't wait for yourself to turn into someone else, which you won't. You already have everything it takes.
Summary
Lynn Harris is a comedian, journalist, author, and activist who has spent her career proving that humour is a serious force for change. From co-creating the cult superhero Breakup Girl in the 1990s to founding Gold Comedy — a fully online comedy school and professional network for women and non-binary creators — Lynn has built a patchwork career that she describes as a "Candyland board": different-coloured squares, all on the same path. In this episode, she and Patsy explore why comedy is such a powerful vehicle for midlife reinvention, why women deserve to get paid properly for creative work, and why the gender gap in comedy has never been about talent.
About Lynn Harris
Lynn Harris is a comedian, journalist, author, activist, and founder of Gold Comedy, an online comedy school, professional network, and content studio for women and non-binary creators. She co-created the cult character Breakup Girl with illustrator Chris Kalb, which first appeared in her 1996 book He Loved Me, He Loves Me Not and became one of the first multiplatform internet success stories. Lynn has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Glamour, and Salon, and served as VP of Communications at Breakthrough, a global human rights organisation using pop culture and media to address gender-based violence. She is based in New York — and Gold Comedy is fully online, so her community spans continents.
Thank you to our sponsor AJ BELL MONEY MATTERS
Thank you to AJ Bell Money Matters for supporting this episode. The AJ Bell Money Matters podcast is created for women by women featuring news, information and inspiring interviews to help build your knowledge and confidence around finances. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Please click here to show support of our podcast and to find out more about AJ Bell:
https://www.ajbell.co.uk/investment/women-and-investing?utm_source=moneymatters&utm_medium=partnership&utm_campaign=wobblymiddle
Key Topics
Comedy as a vehicle for cultural change — humour as a "delivery system" for shifting norms and assumptions
The Candyland board career — transferring skills across a patchwork freelance life, where writing, comedy, activism, and campaigning are all different-coloured squares on the same path
The gender gap in comedy — not about talent, but about who gets the stage, the mic, the writers' room, and the power to decide what's funny
Women getting paid for creative work — the Cindy Gallop advice: "Say the largest amount you can without actually bursting into laughter"
Gold Comedy's Build and Pitch programme — taught by Ryan Cunningham, where women in their 40s and 50s consistently bring the biggest fire
"You don't have to change who you are to succeed" — or to be funny. Your unique perspective is all the raw material you need.

Links
Gold Comedy: https://goldcomedy.com
Breakup Girl: https://www.breakupgirl.net
Lynn Harris: https://www.lynnharris.net
The Wobbly Middle on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-wobbly-middle/id1767850643
The Wobbly Middle on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4YhwsBch8Q9vAOUBBfusIv
Subscribe to the newsletter: https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep25-lynn-harris
Find out more about The Wobbly Middle: https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com/about?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep25-lynn-harris

Where to Follow Lynn
Instagram: @goldcomedy
Twitter/X: @GOLDcomedy
Lynn on Instagram: @lynnharris
Lynn on Twitter/X: @harrislynn
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynnharris1

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If You Enjoyed This Episode
You might also love Episode 24: From Teacher's Desk to Therapist's Couch with Carri Simmons. Where Lynn describes the "Candyland board" of a patchwork career — transferring skills in unexpected directions — Carri tells the deeply personal story of leaving teaching and retraining as a psychologist in midlife.
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Help Us Grow
If this episode resonated with you, here are two 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=ep25-lynn-harris
New 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=ep25-lynn-harris
Thank you for listening and for supporting independent podcasts.
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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.
Summary
Carri 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 Carri
Carri 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 Topics
The emotional and physical toll of staying in the wrong career
Recognising fight-or-flight mode as a signal that something needs to change
Going back to university as a mature student with children
The power of incremental steps - trying things out before you leap
Being open to possibilities even when the path isn't clear
Building a new professional identity in midlife

Links
Subscribe to the newsletter: https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep24-carri-simmons
Find out more about The Wobbly Middle: https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com/about?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep24-carri-simmons
The Wobbly Middle on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-wobbly-middle/id1767850643
The Wobbly Middle on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4YhwsBch8Q9vAOUBBfusIv

Where to Follow Carri
https://www.instagram.com/carri_simmons_psychologist/
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If You Enjoyed This Episode
You 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.
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Help Us Grow
If 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-simmons
New 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-simmons
Thank you for listening and for supporting independent podcasters.
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Returning to work after a career break — the psychology of luck, neuroplasticity, and starting again in midlife.
Julianne Miles knows what it takes to return to work because she's done it herself. After stepping away from marketing when her children were small, she spent over a year asking herself "can I really start again?" — a question many of us will recognise. The answer was yes: she retrained as a psychologist and went on to co-found Career Returners, a social enterprise that has changed how employers and policymakers think about career breaks.
In this episode, Julianne shares the science behind why it's never too late, including the encouraging research on neuroplasticity, work-family enrichment, and the psychology of luck. Her advice? Stop overthinking and start doing.
Summary
Julianne Miles MBE spent a year going in circles — "shall I, shan't I?" — before signing up for an evening psychology course that changed everything. That small step led to a conversion course, a career as an occupational psychologist, and eventually the founding of Career Returners, one of the world's largest return-to-work platforms. In this conversation, she shares the research that underpins her book Return Journey, including neuroplasticity (your brain never stops making new connections), work-family enrichment (the idea that work and family can be allies, not competitors), and the psychology of luck — Richard Wiseman's finding that "lucky" people simply see the world differently. It's a masterclass in why confidence comes from action, not the other way around.
About Julianne
Julianne Miles MBE is an occupational psychologist and co-founder of Career Returners, a social impact enterprise and community dedicated to making career breaks a valued part of a lifetime career. A former marketer who retrained as a psychologist after her own career break, she has shaped how employers and policymakers think about return-to-work practices. She brought the concept of "returnships" — pioneered by Goldman Sachs — to the UK, and is the author of Return Journey: How to Get Back to Work and Thrive After a Career Break. She was awarded an MBE for services to career returners.
Key Topics
The "shall I, shan't I" phase — and how to break the cycle of indecision
Why confidence comes from action, not from having the perfect plan
Neuroplasticity: your brain makes new connections at any age — the science says it's never too late
Work-family enrichment: why going back to work can give you more energy, not less
The psychology of luck — Richard Wiseman's research on why "lucky" people create their own opportunities
How Career Returners grew from kitchen table workshops to a national platform
Navigating recruitment bias against career gaps — and what actually works
Building your return-to-work support team and the power of community
Why "every no gets me closer to a yes"

Links
Julianne's book Return Journey: https://careerreturners.com/return-journey-book/
Career Returners Professional Community (free or pay-if-you-can): https://community.careerreturners.com/
The Wobbly Middle on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-wobbly-middle/id1767850643
The Wobbly Middle on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4YhwsBch8Q9vAOUBBfusIv
Subscribe to the newsletter: https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep23-julianne-miles
Find out more about The Wobbly Middle: https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com/about?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep23-julianne-miles

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If You Enjoyed This Episode
You might also love our Season 3 Episode with Carri Simmons From Teacher's Desk to Psychologist's Sofa with Carri Simmons. Where Julianne shares the science behind career returns, Carri tells the deeply personal story of walking away from teaching, going back to university as a mother of three, and retraining as a psychologist. Together, they're two sides of the same coin: the evidence that it works, and the courage to try.
---
Help Us Grow
If 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=ep23-julianne-miles
New 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=ep23-julianne-miles
Thank you for listening and for supporting independent podcasters.
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The neuroscience behind vision boards and goal-setting — and how to use them at a career crossroads.
Do vision boards actually work, or are they just arts and crafts with ambition? In this bonus episode, investigative wellness journalist Rebecca Newman draws on the research of neuroscientist Dr Tara Swart, author of The Source, to explain what's really going on in our brains when we make an action board — and why they might be exactly the tool you need in your wobbly middle.
Then theory meets practice as Patsy and Rebecca head to the craft room, where scissors and glue meet cork board, to make their own. It turns out a vision board isn't about magical thinking — it's a daily point of orientation, keeping you facing forward.
Summary
This episode takes a dive into the science of goal-setting through the lens of vision boards. Rebecca Newman, a journalist who has written for the Financial Times, The Guardian, and GQ, unpacks the neuroscience research of Dr Tara Swart to show why visual goal-setting can sharpen your sight line through the wobbly middle. Far from being a fluffy exercise, action boards work by keeping your goals front and centre — something you live with every day. Patsy and Rebecca then roll up their sleeves and make their own boards.
Key Topics
- The neuroscience behind vision boards — what happens in your brain when you visualise your goals
- Dr Tara Swart's research in The Source on selective attention and goal prioritisation
- How action boards differ from wish lists — making goals tangible and visible
- Using vision boards as a practical tool for navigating a career crossroads in midlife
- The power of keeping your goals front and centre as a daily point of orientation
- Why getting hands-on with scissors and glue can unlock clarity you weren't expecting
Links
- The Source by Dr Tara Swart: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16913/9781785042003
- The Wobbly Middle on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-wobbly-middle/id1767850643
- The Wobbly Middle on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4YhwsBch8Q9vAOUBBfusIv
- Subscribe to the newsletter: https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep22-rebecca-newman
- Find out more about The Wobbly Middle: https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com/about?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep22-rebecca-newman
If You Enjoyed This Episode
You might also love our Q&A with Patsy Day and Susannah de Jager, where they opened the mailbag to tackle listeners' questions about navigating the midlife career odyssey. If the vision board episode got you thinking about what's next, the Q&A offers practical encouragement for when you're ready to take the next step.
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Help Us Grow
If this episode resonated with you, there are two simple things that make a real difference:
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — 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=ep22-rebecca-newman
New 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=ep22-rebecca-newman
Thank you for listening and for supporting independent podcasting.
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