Midlife career change takes courage. Catherine Clark shares how women over 40 can leave burnout behind, trust impermanence, and create what's next.

After 30 years of building a successful branding agency, Catherine Clark made a radical choice in her 50s: she walked away. In this conversation, Catherine shares the truth about midlife career change—how to recognize when partnerships drain your energy, why movement unlocks emotional breakthroughs, and how women over 40 can reimagine success on their own terms.

This is a powerful story about burnout recovery, surrendering the need to push through, and building something fluid and graceful in midlife. If you've ever felt trapped by the success you've created, this episode will give you permission to move.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00] Introduction: Reimagining success in the second half of life

[01:28] Catherine's journey: 30 years in branding and the ecosystem that started to fray

[04:06] Why women are trained to tolerate energy-depleting relationships

[06:24] The courage to address stagnation and trust what's on the other side

[08:11] Accepting that change happens whether we choose it or not

[09:42] The ocean and the wave: Thich Nhat Hanh's philosophy on impermanence

[14:30] What horses taught Catherine about movement as medicine

[35:42] The danger of being too strong: when resilience keeps us stuck

[36:52] Why surrender requires more strength than pushing through

[38:04] Building CREATRIS with fluidity and grace

[40:37] How moving your body helps you move emotionally

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

✨ Energy-multiplying vs. energy-depleting relationships: Learn to recognize the difference

✨ Everything has to work together: career, family, values—your ecosystem matters

✨ Movement is medicine: Physical movement unlocks emotional breakthroughs

✨ Surrender isn't weakness: Sometimes the bravest thing is to stop pushing

✨ Midlife opens doors: When children launch and parents age, new chapters emerge

ABOUT CATHERINE CLARK:

Catherine Clark is the founder of CREATRIS and spent nearly 30 years building a successful branding agency, Clarkmcdowell, working with companies like Starbucks and PepsiCo. After recognizing that her partnership and business model no longer fueled her energy, she made the courageous decision to start fresh in her 50s, creating something more aligned with fluidity, grace, and her evolving values.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Thich Nhat Hanh's philosophy on impermanence

• Gyrotonics (movement practice)

• Caroline Weaver / The Locavore (NYC)

CONNECT WITH ARANSAS:

Subscribe to the Uplifters podcast for weekly conversations with women doing big, brave things in midlife and beyond.

TAGS:

#midlifemindset #careerchange40 #womenover40 #burnoutrecovery #midlifecareerchange #strongat40plus #thrivingmidlife #secondhalflife #perimenopause #menopause #womenleadership #careertransition