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Executive Material Cohort 4 begins on February 17 from 6 to 7:30 PM Eastern. Join the waitlist here.
40 is not late.
40 is leverage.
Many women enter their late thirties and step into their forties believing they are behind.
I held that belief as well. I became an executive at 35, and at the time I felt like I was completely behind in my career; now at 39 I realize just how wrong that belief is.
This is because LIFE tends to devalue a woman over 40 while also valuing antiques, paintings, and wine.
One thing about life is that it does not unfold in predictable timelines.
Getting married (or not) by 25.
The huge house and white picket fence by 28.
First baby (if you want) by 30.
The huge corporate career right after.
When your goals, especially those in your career, don’t happen by a certain timeline, you can easily feel like, “Well, this is never going to happen for me.”
I reviewed 3 years of client data, and a very clear and undeniable pattern emerged.
Most of the women who join my programs or work with me one-on-one are between 38 and 52.
(there are some outliers who are younger)
Some are reentering leadership after heavy caregiving years.
Some are just now trying for a baby or have very young families.
Some finally feel ready to climb after raising their kids.
Some spent a long time in the mid-level and are prepared to accelerate.
They all share one truth.
Life is not over; it’s not the middle, it’s just starting.
You’re not behind, but you are standing on the most strategic point of your career.
Corporate leadership has changed, but so have you.
The middle layer continues to shrink as companies reorganize and automate routine work
(SOURCE: McKinsey “Women in the Workplace 2023” + World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report).
Director and Senior Manager roles feel heavier, and it’s often the place women in leadership spend the longest period of time.
(I’ve always said this and I’ll say it again, these two roles are the HARDEST in corporate america right now)
Year after year, your work continues expanding, yet the clarity of your path gets blurrier.
This makes leaders believe that executive work requires more hours and more sacrifice.
Don’t get me wrong becoming an Exec is alot of work but it’s different work.
Executive work rewards clarity, pattern recognition, and influence.
These skills strengthen with experience and age.
By 40 you have lived enough patterns to make better decisions.
You understand people, pressure, and how organizations move.
This is not the end of a career.
This is the beginning of a strategic one.
Why 40 Is the Ideal Time for Executive Growth
1. You’ve lived the hardest part
The mid-level demands responsibility without authority.
You manage expectations from every direction.
You deliver outcomes with limited control of the environment.
This is why many leaders stay at the director level for years
(SOURCE: McKinsey “Broken Rung” data).
When you step into executive work, the tension shifts.
You gain influence over the work instead of reacting to it.
You shape direction instead of absorbing demand.
2. Your life experience makes you a better and SUSTAINABLE leader
My clients at 40 fall into three groups.
Their families reach a stage where growth feels possible.
They spent years in the mid-level and want upward mobility.
They are building young families and want their career to mature alongside their identity.
These experiences create clarity, stronger boundaries, better time discipline, and steadier leadership. (SOURCE: Harvard Business Review on leadership maturity + Korn Ferry Leadership Architect insights).
3. Your wisdom = executive influence
Influence grows from pattern recognition.
By 40 you have seen enough personalities, restructures, and power shifts to understand how decisions are made.
You recognize dynamics earlier.
You anticipate reactions better.
You read a room faster.
This is the beginning of political intelligence. (SOURCE: LinkedIn Economic Graph analysis on leadership pathways).
Executive rooms require steady judgment, not constant output.
Your lived experience is now an advantage.
You are not late. You are ready.
If you feel behind, you are not imagining the pressure.
You are standing inside a shift in your identity and your career.
You are not starting over.
You are stepping forward with more wisdom and capability than you had ten years ago.
This is the decade where your experience compounds.
And you're in good company as many women become execs between 38-52.
40 is not LATE.
40 is LEVERAGE.
Work With Me
Executive Material – Cohort 4
Begins February 17, 6 to 7:30 PM Eastern. A ten-week program for women preparing for executive roles and ready to build strategic influence, messaging, and confidence. Join the waitlist here.
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