Is it too late to start over at 40? Spoiler: nope. In this episode, singer-songwriter Chelsey Stallings shares how she built a thriving music career in midlife—after kids, career changes, and a literal leg-shattering fall. We dive into midlife reinvention, songwriting after 40, and the power of starting when the world says you're “too old.” If you're craving a second act (or third), this one's your pep talk in podcast form.
(00:00) 🎤 Meet Chelsey Stallings — powerhouse singer-songwriter, horse whisperer, and mom of three. She’s the kind of friend who’ll write a song that makes you ugly cry and then crack a joke that has you snort-laughing through your tears.
(03:00) ✈️ We talk about how she traded in hair school for home studios, Utah mountains for Tennessee dreams, and how the Nashville hustle really goes down — spoiler alert: it’s less “glam squad” and more “grit, grace, and a broken leg courtesy of a rescue horse.”
(08:00) 🛠️ We dig into the detours, delays, and divine redirections (including one that came in the form of, you know, emergency surgery). This is midlife reinvention with boots on the ground — literally.
(13:00) 🚫 Chelsey opens up about what it feels like to chase a dream in your 40s when the world says you’re “too old” and “too mom” — and why she’s not having any of it.
(17:00) 👶 We talk songwriting, motherhood, and why early motherhood is just Groundhog Day in yoga pants. Spoiler: your arms really will ache to hold them little again.
(22:00) 🎶 She shares the behind-the-scenes of her song “Mom Needs a Minute,” how co-writing sessions are basically musical therapy, and what inspired her newest tearjerker.
(26:00) ✨ We chat about the myth of aging out, the beauty in battle scars, and why “Pretty Old” might be your new favorite anthem.
(30:00) 🌟 From Garth Brooks giving her a compliment she’ll never forget (!!!!) to industry insider scoop about how songs actually “make it,” Chelsey pulls back the curtain on it all.
(36:00) 🤖 Plus: the influence of AI in music, why TikTok is a wild card, and how middle age has made her both tougher and more tender.
(46:00) 🧭 And of course — what Chelsey has found at 40.
If you’ve ever wondered if you’re too late to chase a dream, this episode will lovingly slap that idea out of your brain. You’re not too old, too mom, too anything. You’re right on time.
🎧 Listen in, laugh hard, and maybe cry a little (in a good way).
Find Chelsey Stallings at @chelseystallings on Instagram and YouTube, @chelseystallingssings on TikTok
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📱 Check out @foundat40podcast on Instagram for extras, outtakes, and mild oversharing
🎙️ Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify
📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Foundat40
