Lucy Standing is the co-founder of Brave Starts, a not-for-profit supporting people in midlife and beyond to rethink work, purpose and what comes next. She's the author of Age Against the Machine, a chartered psychologist with a background in recruitment and a passionate voice on ageism, work and the realities of longer working lives. Brave Starts supports more than 900 members navigating career change, redundancy, freelance and portfolio work or simply asking better questions about how they want to spend the years ahead. This is a fascinating conversation about working in an ageist world.

We talk about:

-Why retirement is a relatively modern invention and why it no longer fits the reality of longer, healthier lives

-The myths surrounding older workers, productivity and motivation

-How ageism operates "through the back door" in recruitment systems

-Why CVs are one of the least effective tools for predicting job success

-The concept of predictive validity and what actually works better than interviews and CVs

-How AI could reduce age bias rather than reinforce it (if used differently)

-Why community and shared action are essential when navigating career change later in life

-The real reasons people over 50 struggle to get hired and what does make a difference

-Why this is not a DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) issue, but a structural economic one

-What governments, employers and individuals could do right now to create change

-How organisations like Brave Starts are combining individual support with policy advocacy

And lots more.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it and leave us a 5* review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening. Order Rachel's book, Magnificent Midlife: Transform Your Middle Years, Menopause And Beyond, recommended in The New York Times as one of seven top books about menopause at magnificentmidlife.com/book The paperback can also be purchased on Amazon or other online retailers: UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/ US & Canada: https://www.amazon.com/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/ Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/ You can listen to all the other episodes and get the show notes at magnificentmidlife.com/podcast. Podcast recommended by the Sunday Times. FeedSpot #5 in 40 Best Midlife Podcasts FeedSpot #7 in 100 Best Midlife Women Podcasts FeedSpot #2 in 10 Best UK Life Hacks Podcasts You'll find lots of strategies, support and resources to help make your midlife magnificent at magnificentmidlife.com. Check out Rachel's online Revitalize Experience, a 6-week intensive small group mentoring experience or 1-1 Midlife Mentoring.