Five Years of Reinvention Rebels: 5 Bold Lessons from Betting on Myself at Midlife

Five years, countless stories, and endless reinventions. 🎙️ In this special anniversary episode, I’m celebrating the journey of Reinvention Rebels — sharing five bold lessons I’ve learned about courage, consistency, and betting on myself at midlife.

Let's Celebrate! 🎉

🎉 Five Years of Reinvention Rebels: 5 Bold Lessons from Betting on Myself at Midlife

How do you stay inspired, curious, and bold — not just for a year, but for five?

This week, I’m celebrating a milestone:
 five incredible years of the Reinvention Rebels podcast!

What started as a spark of curiosity has grown into a movement — one that celebrates midlife women who are rewriting what’s possible.

💫 In this heartfelt solo episode, I’m sharing five powerful lessons I’ve learned from five years behind the mic — lessons about courage, community, and what it really means to bet on yourself at midlife.

✨ In this episode, you’ll hear:
• How I started Reinvention Rebels without a roadmap (and yes, with the wrong mic settings!)
• Why consistency, not perfection, builds confidence
• The life-changing power of community and midlife sisterhood
• How I’m still reinventing myself at 60 — from podcasting to public speaking
• Why your ripple effect is far greater than you realize

🎧 Plus, I’m shining a light on another inspiring show that celebrates women’s wisdom:

Wisdom at Work: Older Women, Elderwomen, and Grandmothers on the Move!

Hosted by my friend Ilana Landsberg-Lewis, this podcast features intimate conversations with older women activists and artists from around the globe — exploring their creativity, courage, and wisdom in tackling life’s biggest challenges.

👉🏾 Find it wherever you listen or visit wisdomatworkpodcast.com.

🎁 Don’t miss my free 7-minute audio guide, 5 Questions to Spark Your Curiosity and Inspire Your Reinvention Journey.

It’s the perfect mini-pause to reconnect with what’s next for you.

💜 Stay tuned: I’ll soon be releasing a special anniversary gift — The Top 5 Reinvention Rebels Episodes Guide — with my favorite rebel moments and why they matter.

✨ Here’s to five years of courage, curiosity, and midlife boldness — and to all the reinventions still to come.

Transcript

00:00 - Wendy (Host)
Most podcasts fade away after a few episodes, but Midlife Women we don't fade, we rise. And for five years we've been rising together, cheering one another on telling our stories, building confidence, purpose, community and true midlife magic. Today I'm sharing five lessons from five years behind the mic. 

00:39
Welcome to Reinvention Rebels stories of brave and unapologetic women, 50 to 90 years young, who have boldly reinvented life on their own terms to find new purpose and possibilities. I'm your host, wendy Battles. I need to kick your fears to the curb, do it scared and step into who you are meant to be in midlife and beyond. These amazing women, these reinvention rebels, can help light your reinvention path. Come join us and let's get inspired together. Hey, hey, hey, amazing ones. Welcome back to the Reinvention Rebels podcast. I'm your host, wendy, and today is a very special episode because we are celebrating something big Five years of Reinvention Rebels. Yes, five years of sharing bold, brave, beautiful stories of midlife women reinventing themselves and rewriting what's possible. If you've been with me since the beginning, thank you, and if you're new here, welcome. You are now part of a powerful and growing community of women who are proof that reinvention has no expiration date. Most podcasts fade away after a few episodes. But Midlife Women, we don't fade, we rise. And for five years we've been rising together, cheering one another on telling our stories, building confidence, purpose, community and true midlife magic. Today I'm sharing five lessons from five years behind the mic and five years walking my own reinvention path right alongside you. Let's dive in. Lesson one start before you're ready.

03:03
When I launched this podcast, I didn't have all the answers. I didn't know how to edit. I didn't have fancy equipment and when I did get said equipment, I didn't know how to use it properly. Seriously, I had the game set wrong for most of season one and it did not sound great. But we get started. I asked my friends to be my first guests. I figured things out as I went. I pressed record anyway. 

03:32
Reinvention often starts as a whisper and if you listen it becomes a roar. You don't need to have it all figured out to begin. Just start and trust that clarity will meet you on this path. Lesson two Consistency builds confidence. There were plenty of moments I wondered can I really do this? But here we are Five years, countless stories and, yes, an award later. I've learned something powerful Consistency isn't about perfection. It's about showing up one episode at a time, one rep of courage at a time. Just like building a muscle, small steps, repeated, create bold transformation. Lesson three courage loves company. 

04:29
Every guest I've interviewed has brought me wisdom, light, vulnerability and extraordinary courage. These women ages 50 to 90 and beyond have started businesses in their 60s, run marathons in their 70s, modeled in their 80s, written books, changed careers, reclaimed their voices. Their bravery has fueled me. Their boldness lit my fire. Their stories turned into a movement. 

05:03
Reinvention is not a solo sport Y'all, it's a sisterhood. Lesson four reinvention has no timeline. Five years ago, I was just beginning to find my podcasting voice. Today, at 60, I'm stepping on two stages, speaking about reinvention and cybersecurity. My work, passion, those opportunities didn't come from rushing. They came from trusting, growing and letting myself evolve. I don't know that I would have stepped into that confidence without the bold, brilliant women of this Reinvention Rebels community showing me what's possible, cheering me on and reminding me to keep betting on myself. You are not late, you are right on time. 

06:00
Lesson five trust the ripple. Sometimes podcasting feels quiet and then a message arrives. You helped me believe again, or your show inspired me to try something new, and I remember. Every voice matters, every story matters, every spark matters. Even when you don't see the impact, the ripple is happening. So bet on yourself. You never know who you are inspiring. 

06:39
If this episode is sparking reflection for you, I'd love to support your journey even more. I invite you to grab my seven-minute audio guide Five Questions to Spark Curiosity and Inspire your Reinvention Journey even more. I invite you to grab my seven minute audio guide five questions to spark curiosity and inspire your reinvention journey. It's the perfect elixir to I'm not sure what is next or I don't know where to begin. It's a fun seven minute audio. It'll give you that kickstart that is key to creating your own reinvention journey. As always, the link is in the show notes. It's a perfect mini pause to reconnect with your next chapter. 

07:21
And now I have a small anniversary celebration favorite to ask If this podcast has ever inspired you, made you feel seen or encouraged you along your path. Take a moment right now yes, right now to share it with two friends. It just takes a couple of taps in your podcast app and that's how we grow this beautiful community of bold women lifting each other up. Of course, of bold women lifting each other up. Of course. I would also love to hear from you. You can DM me on Instagram or threads at Reinvention Rebels or email me, wendy at reinventionrebelscom. The links are also in the show notes. But tell me about your favorite episode or moment. That would mean the world to me as we celebrate five years. And stay tuned. I'm working on something special to celebrate this milestone A top five Reinvention Rebels episode guide with why these episodes matter so much and links to listen. I can't wait to share that with you soon. Links to listen. I can't wait to share that with you soon. 

08:32
Before we wrap up, I want to shine a light on another beautiful podcast that celebrates women's wisdom and power. It's called Wisdom at Work Older Women, elder Women and Grandmothers on the Move, hosted by my friend, ilana Landsberg-Lewis. Now, despite the name, it's actually not about the workplace. It's about women at work in the world. Ilana shares intimate conversations with older women, activists and artists from around the globe, exploring their creativity, courage and wisdom in tackling life's biggest challenges. You can find Wisdom at Work wherever you listen to podcasts or visit wisdomatworkpodcastcom to tune in. So, in closing, I want to express my appreciation to every woman who has shared her story, and there are so many exquisite stories all unique, remarkable and deeply powerful. To every listener yes, you who presses play. And to every single rebel who refuses to dim her light. Thank you. Here's to five years of courage, curiosity and midlife boldness, and to the many beautiful chapters still ahead for all of us. Keep betting on yourself, keep rising, keep shining, because you, my friend, are a re-invention rebel. Cheers to us.