I wish someone told me that midlife is a time for reinvention. Our societal view of aging is, well, old. It’s time for a new paradigm. One with no boundaries, only possibilities. This is the world I’m excited to help create. I truly believe our best years are ahead!
Many successful people reinvented themselves in a later period in their lives. Jeff Bezos worked on Wall Street before he reinvented himself and started Amazon. Sara Blakely sold office supplies before she started Spanx. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was a WWE wrestler before he became a successful actor and filmmaker. Arnold Schwarzenegger went from a bodybuilder, to an actor to a Governor. McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc was a milkshake-device salesman before starting the McDonalds franchise in his 50s.
How does one reinvent themselves? What hurdles have to be overcome to take life in a new direction? How do you overcome those challenges? How do you ignore the naysayers? How do you push through the paralyzing fear?
In this series called “Second Chapters; How I Reinvented Myself In The Second Chapter Of My Life “ we are interviewing successful people who reinvented themselves in a second chapter in life, to share their story and help empower others.
As a part of this interview series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kathy Robinson.
Kathy Robinson spent 33 years in Corporate America, both on Wall Street and at Fortune 250 firms. She was at the height of her career as a Chief Audit Executive when she left to launch Athena Wellness, fueled by her enthusiasm for holistic well-being. Today Kathy supports other high-achieving professionals as they envision their second chapters, using midlife transition as an invitation to transform and create a heart-based, purpose-driven life. You can find her at AthenaWellness.com.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we start, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
Iwas part of the first Generation X wave, coming of age in the 1970s in a blue collar city just outside of midtown Manhattan, with dreams of independence and business success. I was among the first to benefit from Title IX, playing farm league baseball in elementary school and running cross country with the boys in high school.
This was a good primer for Wall Street, which is where I landed after college. I chose the job as a junior examiner at a large financial institution for two reasons. First, I had a heap of college debt to pay off. Second, it gave me an opportunity to travel internationally, which was a dream for a kid from Jersey who had never been off the east coast of the U.S.
As a 22-year-old auditor, I can remember meeting the Chief Audit Executive for the first time before heading to Asia for a monthlong assignment for the company. He was a chain-smoker who had the reputation of being aloof and surly, but I somehow broke the ice and we had a great conversation. It never occurred to me that I would one day occupy a similar corner office, sans the cigarettes.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote?” Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
When I started Athena Wellness, I put this quote in my office, where I still see it every day. It reads: “The life you live is the lesson you teach.” It is credited to that wise orator — “Unknown.”
It reminds me of a core belief I strive to model and instill in my clients and students — how we show up for ourselves impacts how we show up for others. It reminds me of the importance of putting the reps in as a way of readying for opportunity when it presents itself. And it reminds me how lucky I am to live in a way that I yearned for throughout my corporate career — an integrated life that’s a full expression of myself.
You have been blessed with much success. In your opinion, what are the top three qualities that you possess that have helped you accomplish so much? If you can, please share a story or example for each.
I love this question because it made me realize that my old corporate self would have answered it along the lines of hard work, discipline, and outperforming everyone else.
My perspective has shifted quite a bit since then, and I’m reminded of a wonderful quote from Kahlil Gibran: “Work is love made visible.” The three qualities that help me make my love visible in the world are:
- Vision: This is the strategy part of the equation. It’s about what’s possible and what’s enjoyable to create. If I feel a high level of engagement and enthusiasm, I know I’m on the right track. While I like to hold a firm vision, I’m more flexible with how to get there. This leads to Quality #2.
- Motivation: This is the tactical part of the equation where I determine how to turn my vision into actionable plans. I’ve found it’s critical to have a clear intention as far as what I want to accomplish and why I want to do it. This clarity allows me to consistently focus on what needs to be done and, more importantly, the discernment and discipline to say no to what doesn’t light me up. What keeps this persistence in check is Quality #3.
- Growth mindset: This is the “woo” part of the equation. Optimism is the driver, along with the belief that there are no mistakes; everything in my experience is supporting my journey. I take great strides to quiet the noise, listen to my inner wisdom, stay open to inspiration, revel in experimentation, and play in the realms of creativity and curiosity. Staying in this high vibe mind frame allows me to trust the way forward.
Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion about ‘Second Chapters.’ Can you tell our readers about your career experience before your Second Chapter?
I spent 33 years in the corporate world. The first 18 years were with various Wall Street financial institutions, such as Morgan Stanley, and the last 15 years with ADP, half of that time as the Chief Audit Executive and Chief Risk Officer.
From the beginning of my career I felt that although I was good at my job and gave 150%, it wasn’t an expression of who I was. Rather, it was something I did. As a result, it felt like I was living an emotionally disconnected, compartmentalized life.
There were things that I liked about my work, especially the roles I had toward the end of my career and the perspective I gained linking the company’s strategy to its objectives to its business processes and outcomes. I always enjoyed my team and colleagues, mentoring, and the diversity initiatives that made an impact in the corporate world. The whole time, though, I explored other things that brought my spirit joy — with an eye on how I might be able to one day spend my days focused solely on what I loved from wherever I chose to be in the world.
And how did you “reinvent yourself” in your Second Chapter?
When I entered my 50s, I began to think about the second act of my career and ask myself a question I had never allowed myself to ponder before: “How would I like to spend my time?” It’s a question that doesn’t have a quick answer — rather, it slowly gets revealed through action.
I started by looking at my bookshelf. Everything I was reading at the time was about healthy eating, endurance sports, weight training, writing, creativity, spirituality, simplicity, meditation, and nature. I realized that all of these topics were related to wellness and living a good life.
I began to experiment and explore potential paths based on what intrigued me most, such as sports nutrition and personal training. I landed on wellness coaching because it gave me a broader umbrella for my work. I enrolled in a coaching program and got certified in 2018, while I was still working full time.
In my last year of corporate, I started blogging and writing my book, The Athena Principles, Simple Wellness Practices for Overworked Professionals.
My current business portfolio has expanded beyond the blog, book and coaching and includes online courses, corporate consulting, a podcast, and a YouTube channel.
Now my life and work are integrated. I designed my life with freedom and flexibility in mind. It’s a blessing to engage in work that is creative, fulfilling and location-independent and help clients and students do the same.
Can you tell us about the specific trigger that made you decide that you were going to “take the plunge” and make your huge transition?
My “plan” was to take my time. I thought I’d continue to explore and experiment with the things I loved to do until I felt ready to leave corporate life, which I figured would be in my late 50s.
The trigger came just after my 54th birthday when my functional boss, who was the Board Audit Committee Chairperson, announced his retirement. Ten days later, the CEO announced that my administrative boss, the Chief Financial Officer, was retiring the following year.
When the CEO made that second announcement on a conference call, I was sitting in my office with my notebook open on my desk. As soon as I heard the news, I wrote Retire! and circled it for emphasis.
I gave it some time before I spoke to my boss, the soon-to-be retiring CFO. I didn’t want to react out of emotion, but it really felt like a Universal nod that this was a good time to go. Deep inside I knew the energy it would require for me to develop new relationships and keep up the pace of global travel that was needed. I felt that if I was going to invest that level of energy and commitment, I should be focusing that effort on myself.
Within a few months, I let management and the board know that I’d be retiring, too. My last official day was November 1, 2019.
What did you do to discover that you had a new skillset inside of you that you haven’t been maximizing? How did you find that and how did you ultimately overcome the barriers to help manifest those powers?
As I began to plan my second chapter, I wrestled with this question: “After 30+ years in corporate, why would someone look to me for wellness expertise?”
I was flying home from a west coast trip in August 2018, thinking about this question when a proverbial lightning bolt hit. It was such an “a-ha” moment, I made an audible exclamation, jolting the businessman sitting next to me.
The connection I made was this: I had been assessing the wellness of Fortune 500 companies my whole career. As an audit and risk professional, I was responsible for:
- Identifying what’s going well and how we can further leverage it;
- Assessing threats to the firm’s objectives by determining what could go wrong;
- Measuring impact;
- Recommending and overseeing action; and
- Providing accountability.
All I had to do was turn the lens from professional risk assessment to personal wellness. With that insight, I took my notebook out of my briefcase and began outlining my thought process. Within minutes, I mapped out my wellness philosophy and coaching methodology.
As I look back now, I can clearly see that I’ve been on this journey my entire life, but it took time to gain that perspective.
How are things going with this new initiative? We would love to hear some specific examples or stories.
When I first started the business, my intention was to keep professionals well as they ascended the corporate ladder. That’s what my book, coaching, and talks were focused on for the first two years.
Over time, I realized I was well-suited to help seasoned professionals as they descend the ladder and determine what’s next for them. There’s so much to the process and I wish I had that type of support when I was leaving corporate life.
As professionals ascend the ladder, their logical Type-A self helps them keep pace, produce results, exceed expectations, achieve, and succeed. Year after year, this approach serves them well.
But when they decide to descend the ladder, either by their own choice or by circumstance, they have the opportunity to reimagine their life experience through their heart space so it’s aligned with their deepest desires.
I call this perspective the “Type Be” self, one that invites you to examine where and how your time is spent; to say no to the things that don’t align with what you value most; and to be open to honest self-questioning.
I pivoted to the work I do today because I know firsthand that there is a vibrant life beyond corporate. I’m living proof that you can learn new skills and develop a new network; create a new business, if you choose; and invite all kinds of new life experiences. In fact, I’ve joked that I didn’t choose retirement, I chose re-wirement, because that’s how it feels when you use your head and heart differently.
It’s been said that the longest journey you’ll make in your life is from your head to your heart. This is where my writing and coaching are now focused. My portfolio has expanded to include a new YouTube channel, podcast, and online course offerings.
I love the client and student transformations. It makes my day when someone takes significant action or has a life-changing insight. I’ve seen clients and students reshape their current life into an integrated one that flows with vitality, creativity, and connection.
It’s really a privilege to do this work — to help midlife professionals be well in body, mind, and spirit so they can do the things that light them up with the people they love. That’s wholehearted living!
Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
There are so many mentors throughout the years who took me under their wing and supported me in ways I can never repay. The person who comes to mind in regard to starting Athena Wellness, though, is a coach I hired right after I had the airplane epiphany of what I could offer in my new business.
While I had years of corporate business experience, I had no knowledge of how start an online business. So I hired a digital marketing expert who had a podcast and wrote a book on entrepreneurship for those in the wellness space.
She put me through my paces for an intense three months. I learned how to build a website, identify my ideal client, create a lead magnet, understand the online sales funnel, outline my book, and create a strategic plan.
Doing all this work while I was still employed help me get over the fear of leaving the safety of corporate life to embark on this new adventure. When our time together came to an end, I had the confidence that I could make this happen. It was also great to experience coaching from the client side.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started in this new direction?
Five years before I knew I was leaving corporate, I rented a little seaside cottage on Whidbey Island to write with a friend. Our intention was to envision life as we both entered new decades.
As inspiration, my friend shared a new magazine called Mabel, with the tagline, Making a Living, Creating a Life. As I flipped through the pages, I was intrigued. It was filled with women who were creative entrepreneurs whose days were filled with beauty and the natural rhythms of the seasons.
I was so fascinated with this possibility that I wrote pages and pages in my journal, imagining what it would be like to live like the women who were featured in the magazine.
Fast forward five years. My retirement had been announced and I had six months left to wind everything down. I decided to attend a small weekend writing retreat in New Jersey. Over the next year, the two writers who led the workshop would become instrumental in helping with my Athena Wellness venture. I worked with one leader to get certified as a writing instructor. The second had just published a book of her own and I hired her book designer to work on my book. I also hired her wife, who was a proofreader, to finalize my draft.
The significance? The book designer was the co-creator of Mabel, the magazine that set my entrepreneurial dreams into motion. When I retrieved my copy from five years prior and flipped through it, I was amazed to see that both writing retreat leaders and the proofreader were all featured in that issue — they were the women who modeled the possibilities for me all those years prior!
In a full circle moment, I rehired the book designer about a year later to help with a project. She happened to be working on another issue of the magazine and there was a call for photos of women creator’s hands. I submitted a photo and sure enough, when the issue was released, my hand was one of dozens on the cover of the final issue of Mabel magazine.
Did you ever struggle with believing in yourself? If so, how did you overcome that limiting belief about yourself? Can you share a story or example?
The biggest struggle came at the beginning of the transition from corporate executive to entrepreneur. I underestimated the impact of identity loss and moving through the undefined liminal space between who I was and who I was becoming.
Identity loss was a surprise, but with reflection, it makes sense. Our work is a major part of our identity. It’s how we define ourselves and contribute to society. When we walk out the doors of our employer for the last time, we’re not only leaving our career behind, we’re losing a part of ourselves.
It took me a while to realize there was some sadness related to my decision to leave corporate life because I felt it in different ways. There were the losses of stability and routine, the reliable paycheck and the perks, and the camaraderie with my colleagues.
Navigating the liminal space was even more difficult. Throughout my entire career, I was paid to know the answers. But the transitional space is all about the unknown. For many corporate types, myself included, this uncertainty is very uncomfortable. When I left, it took a while to establish new footing. I had to relearn how to introduce myself in social situations and to answer the inevitable question, “So, what do you do?”
Moving through those struggles myself is what shaped the work I do today with clients and students. Half of our time together is focused on creating space in their lives, giving themselves permission to see things differently, and questioning all the assumptions that brought them to where they are in this moment of their lives. Only then can we explore new things, initiate action, and make a plan for moving forward.
In my own work I usually encourage my clients to ask for support before they embark on something new. How did you create your support system before you moved to your new chapter?
That’s wise encouragement. But I didn’t create a new support system before I left the old one — I plunged right in.
When I first thought about leaving corporate, I kept it to myself. It got to a point where the inner knowing that it was time to leave was so strong, it felt like there was no other answer.
Even so, I had a hard time articulating that externally as to why I was leaving at the height of my career. My family and friends had their personal views, but it was difficult to find a professional colleague who could be a neutral sounding board. That’s why I hired the digital marketing coach, who helped tremendously.
The timing worked to my advantage in a strange way. Four months after I left corporate, the world was in the midst of a pandemic. With everyone in lockdown and focused on their own lives, not only did I have a grace period where no one asked me how it was going, but the world suddenly went “online,” providing me with the tools needed to build a virtual business.
This also allowed my support and network to grow organically. I’ve met amazing people along the way through podcast guesting and hosting, taking online classes, offering free online meditation sessions during the pandemic, and starting a mastermind. It was a slower route to building a supportive community, yet one that feels deep and aligned.
Starting a new chapter usually means getting out of your comfort zone, how did you do that? Can you share a story or example of that?
When I was in corporate, I had an area of expertise and established routines to ensure all the required deliverables were met and exceeded expectations. Each person on my team had their knowledge base as well, and a large part of my job was to create an environment where everyone could contribute to an excellent final product. It was like conducting an orchestra.
The first year as a business owner, not only was I the conductor, but I was the orchestra as well. If I had a deadline and the WIFI or printer went out, there was no IT department to call. A client needed an invoice? There was no administrative assistant to delegate the task. I was IT, accounting and administration, and anything else that needed to work operationally. It was a sobering realization, but one I learned to work through.
My comfort zone was challenged more from a functional perspective. It took a while to get comfortable with the sales and marketing aspect, which, of course, is a huge part of business ownership. I tried to learn from the leading entrepreneurial voices at the time and then used my own inner reaction to calibrate whether or not I’d be comfortable using that technique in my own business.
What all of this has taught me is to keep operations as simple as possible, invite creativity into all aspects of business (and life!), and have the discipline to find ways to align new skills, such as sales and marketing, with my values. Business development is never-ending, but I’ve found ways to relax into it and make it enjoyable, starting with serving one person at a time.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I started” and why?
Video link: https://youtu.be/a2zAuosR4Sg
- I wish someone told me that creating a second chapter is a heart-based activity, one that can’t be mentally constructed because the journey is revealed one step at a time. The way forward is through action, by focusing your energy on the things that bring you alive. This may be counterintuitive, but it doesn’t require an immediate major shift, just an awareness of what’s resonating. Only you know the way. By wholeheartedly following the breadcrumbs along your unique trail, purpose is revealed.
- I wish someone told me that the most valuable midlife asset is well-being. Embarking on a second chapter is a holistic journey that requires a healthy body, an engaged mind, and a curious spirit. The more we release our old stories and ways of being, the more energy is freed for new discoveries and adventures where we can learn, experiment, and have fun along the way.
- I wish someone had told me that I had everything I needed for the second chapter journey. I just needed to find a mindfulness practice that quieted the noise so I could connect with my own inner guidance. The best way to listen, for me, was to walk in nature and allow the wisdom to flow through.
- I wish someone told me that despite what I saw online, building a business doing something you love takes time, effort and patience. Passion alone is not sustainable. Resilience, curiosity and a willingness to take one step, learn, adjust, and then take another one is the way it actually works. I also found the more I experimented, the more I invited serendipitous opportunities.
- I wish someone told me that midlife is a time for reinvention. Our societal view of aging is, well, old. It’s time for a new paradigm. One with no boundaries, only possibilities. This is the world I’m excited to help create. I truly believe our best years are ahead!
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
My inspirational movement is reimagining midlife and normalizing that this is a unique journey for each of us — anything you feel in your heart is a worthy second chapter pursuit. And it starts with one small step at a time.
I once wrote a blog post entitled, “Retirement is a Verb.” It was based on a story of a lawyer who, in 1965, donated one hour of pro-bono legal time per week after being enraged by the injustices he witnessed while watching the evening news. The man who told the story benefited from the lawyer’s work and grew up to be an Ivy League scholar and athlete and currently serves as a U.S. senator.
That’s what got me wondering what might be possible if we harnessed that kind of energy. What if we put our time and attention into what Stephen Covey calls The Circle of Influence — on the things where we have the ability to take action? The more we focus on what we can influence, the more change and impact we can have. That’s the power we have as we embark on a new phase of life with the wisdom of an elder.
Conversely, what a disservice it would be NOT to offer our experience to those who can benefit!
How will you choose to repurpose the time you once devoted to your professional career? How can you best leverage a lifetime of experience and talent that you honed for decades?
Wherever you find yourself today — one hour a week can change the trajectory of someone’s life. In doing so, your Circle of Influence will expand. And don’t be surprised if, as a result, your well-being begins to pulse with positivity, optimism, and radiance.
Retirement is a Verb — and the world needs your experience and your wisdom. I can’t wait to see what you’ll do out there!
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them. :-)
I would love to have a conversation with Chip Conley, who reinvented himself in midlife to create the Modern Elder Academy. I feel he’s a kindred spirit in creating a new paradigm for living vibrantly as we age. I would love to learn more about his personal transformation, how he started the MEA, and what his plans are for the future. Exciting stuff!
How can our readers further follow your work online?
If you’re a midlife professional looking to explore your next chapter, check out the Athena Wellness website. You’ll find lots of free resources, including a pdf, Longing for More Than the Corner Office? Five Questions to Explore a Soulful Second Chapter. There’s also a contact form on the site. Feel free to get in touch — I’d love to connect with you.
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
About the Interviewer: Wanda Malhotra is a wellness entrepreneur, lifestyle journalist, and the CEO of Crunchy Mama Box, a mission-driven platform promoting conscious living. CMB empowers individuals with educational resources and vetted products to help them make informed choices. Passionate about social causes like environmental preservation and animal welfare, Wanda writes about clean beauty, wellness, nutrition, social impact and sustainability, simplifying wellness with curated resources. Join Wanda and the Crunchy Mama Box community in embracing a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle at CrunchyMamaBox.com.
