Get Unstuck and Create a Midlife You Love with Dana Hilmer of Camp Reinvention
Show Snapshot:
Have you ever asked yourself—What’s next?
What’s next for me, my career, my health, my relationships, my empty nest, my next decade?
Dana Hilmer is a certified coach, a women’s leadership executive, and the cofounder of Camp Reinvention, a program, and community for women 50+ looking to create a second act that they are wildly excited about. She helps us get unstuck in midlife and offers a framework to answer the question—What’s next?
We tackle limiting beliefs, managing regret, and how to give yourself permission to reinvent. Plus, how seeking out the stories of women making the most of midlife can help us reframe ageism.
In This Episode We Cover:
How to create a second act you are wildly excited about
Change is not just possible—it’s probable. How to set yourself up for positive change.
How Camp Reinvention harnesses positive psychology and neuroscience to help women design a life they love.
Why the life you’ve lived so far doesn’t need to dictate the life you live in your future.
Hallelujah! It’s never too late to pursue a dream.
What gets in the way of reinvention, and how to stop “should-ing” all over yourself?
The trap of doing things you are “good” at but that don’t light you up.
Cultivate the best version of yourself, learn new habits, and acquire a pivot mindset.
Want a new career? Plan to launch a business? Consider the Camp Reinvention Career Change Accelerator. Bonus! ACA host Katie Fogarty is teaching a session on Owning Your Story on LinkedIn.
Show Links:
Follow Dana:
Follow Camp Reinvention:
Quotable:
We get to decide how it is that we want the second half of our life to be. It doesn’t need to be the way our mom got older, or our grandmother got older, or certainly not the way we see in the media. We get to define and create whatever the heck we want in this second half of life.
Transcript:
Katie Fogarty [0:29]:
Welcome to A Certain Age, a show for women who are unafraid to age out loud. Have you ever asked yourself, “What’s next?” You know, a big picture, “What’s next?” What’s next for me, my career, my health, my relationships, my empty nest, my next decade? My guest today has ideas for helping you both ask and answer the question, “What’s next?”
Dana Hilmer is a certified coach, a women’s leadership executive, and the cofounder of Camp Reinvention, a program and community for women looking to create a second act that they are wildly excited about. Welcome, Dana.
Dana Hilmer [1:07]:
Hello there, Katie. Thanks for having me on today.
Katie [1:09]:
I’m very excited because you had me at, creating a second act that you are wildly excited about. How does that work? Tell us about Camp Reinvention. We are excited about our next acts, and we want to learn more about your work and how it can help fuel our next chapter.
Dana [1:28]:
Awesome, thank you, Katie. It’s so interesting... By the way, I’m in this age group, I’m 57, and the women that we target are 50-ish and older. It’s that woman who is at a crossroads, and who isn’t at this age? Our body is changing, our life is changing. And fortunate for us, we have a much longer life expectancy, there are more women over the age of 50 than any time in history, which I think is so inspiring and we get to decide how it is that we want the second half of our life to be. It doesn’t need to be the way our mom got older, or our grandmother got older, or certainly not the way we see in the media. We get to define and create whatever the heck we want in this second half of life and that’s really what our mission is, to help redefine what getting older is anyway so that we can do this in a way that really does feel exciting and that is really true to who we are at this stage of our life.
Katie [2:27]:
Yeah, I love that. I love that. Focusing, bringing intention around what we’re doing with the next chapter. You’re so right, we are living longer lives than previous generations did; we are moving in an intergenerational workforce, we’re moving into five generation community and culture. So, how does Camp Reinvention actually work? I’m curious, what are some of the disciplines that you work within that help women figure this out?
Dana [2:58]:
Yeah, thank you. So, my cofounder is Wendy Perrotti, who is absolutely amazing, and we both are master level coaches and we both have a really rich science background. My background is in positive psychology, which is the science of human flourishing, and Wendy’s is in neuroscience. And so, what we do is we make sure that everything that we bring to The Camp Reinvention Process is grounded in science. When I mention The Camp Reinvention Process, this is our 12-week program, it is a process that truly is transformative and the reason why I can say that clearly is based on the results that we see.
We dive in really deeply because at this stage of life, we’ve lived a lot, we’ve done a lot, we know what works, we know what doesn’t. But we also have a lot of patterns that we’ve developed over the years that can, at this stage of life, hold us back. So, the coaching process takes you through a whole process of undoing some of those patterns that might be keeping you stuck, – and we all have them, by the way – getting clarity on what the heck you even want at this stage of life and doing it in a way that is super grounded. I think a lot of times, people get idealistic, and they don’t think about what their life is right now; we want to be really grounded in what our life is, who we are at this stage and who it is we want to grow into being. So, The Camp Reinvention Process really helps coach you as the woman behind any goal that you have.
We find that most people come to us wanting to solve for something. I want to get a career, or I want to start a business, or I want to have better health, or I want the relationship that I’ve always wanted, I have a dream or a book or a something I’ve always wanted to do. Usually, people come in with that one thing they’re thinking about, and they leave going, “Holy smokes, I’ve changed so much more,” because we’re coaching you as a whole person, we can't coach you for one thing. It really makes you reassess and ask yourself questions and go down lines of inquiry and thought that most people have never done and if they have, they certainly haven’t done it in a very long time.
I think at this stage of life, we have a lot of responsibilities, life can feel really heavy. So, we want you to play all in and give yourself the permission slip to say, “You know what? I get to dream, I get to think about what I want my life to be, I get to be true to who I am.” I’d love to share actually three core beliefs that we have that I think are so core to creating any positive change in your life.
Katie [5:40]:
Yeah, I’d love to hear them.
Dana [5:42]:
First, of course, is change is possible. I think again, we end up feeling oftentimes like we’ve laid our bed, we’ve got to roll around in it, but change is possible.
Katie [5:52]:
Dana, I would say even beyond just possible, change is probable. The reality is, your life is going to change, your kids grow up, they move out of the house, jobs end, health changes, your parents age, your parents might pass away. So, change is beyond possible, it’s really probable.
Dana [6:12]:
You know, I love that distinction. Positive change is possible is what I should say. [both laugh] Yeah, you’re absolutely right, Katie, I actually just said goodbye to my youngest in college last week and we’re officially empty nesters tomorrow when I bring my middle guy back to school.
Katie [6:28]:
Amazing.
Dana [6:28]:
It’s... yeah, change is happening. We want to create the change that we want to create is what it comes down to.
Katie [6:35]:
Yes, I love that. That’s a very important distinction; being in charge of what’s coming and how you experience it and how you fold it into your life. So, what’s number 2 and 3? You said change is possible.
Dana [6:47]:
Number 2 is that the life you’ve lived so far doesn’t need to dictate the life you live in your future. Right?
Katie [6:53]:
Yes, yes, yes! I love that.
Dana [6:56]:
At this age, we think, “This is what I’ve done, and this is what it is.” Well no. You get to redefine it, if you choose to. So, it’s really getting clear on that for yourself, that just because you’ve been doing this one thing, or this is what your life has looked like so far, it can look very different in the future, if you choose. Yeah, we’ve seen such powerful changes and I think a lot of times, it comes down to getting clear on what you want, and you start looking through a very different lens. The beliefs that we have dictate what we see, and so once you start realizing that wait a minute, this positive change is possible, and to have a different life in the future is something I can create, now you start looking through the lens of people that are doing that, and you start seeing people, and stories, and resources, and opportunities that you didn’t see before because now you’re looking for it.
Katie [7:53]:
Yes, absolutely. When you bring that intention, it’s sort of like when you’re pregnant, all of a sudden, everyone you look at is pregnant. Or if you have a child with red hair, you notice everybody else that has that commonality with you, and I think that’s a big part of listening to this show. Women are looking to be inspired... I get emails and DMs every week from women who’ve said, "You know what? I’m listening to the stories of women who are trying new things and I’ve launched a business, I’ve started a consulting company, I’m trying something new on for size.” Because when we look for inspiration, we find it. So, I love that, that’s number 2. What’s number 3 for The Camp Reinvention Process?
Dana [8:33]:
You know, it is never too late for you to pursue a dream.
Katie [8:36]:
Okay, yes, I love that!
Dana [8:38]:
We all have dreams, right, and it’s not too late, it’s never too late. You hear stories of people who are vibrant and radiant, and healthy, well into their 90s and early 100s, and they always credit the fact that they were always having a dream, always having something they were working toward, they were always excited about trying or learning something new. It’s never too late. And so, a lot of it is allowing ourselves, really, the permission to say, “I get to pursue this thing. I deserve it. I honor who I am, I want to be true to myself.” Katie, have you ever heard of the book, The Top Regrets of the Dying, by Bronnie Ware?
Katie [9:21]:
I have not.
Dana [9:24]:
Ahh, it’s such a powerful book and Bronnie was a hospice nurse, she’s either in Australia or New Zealand, I forget where. But she spent 10 years with people that were in their last days, and she said the number one regret of the dying is, “I wish I had the courage to live the life that is true to me, not the life that other people expect of me.” And when I read that, I was like, oof, ba-dum-bum! I wish I had the courage to live the life that is true to me. And I think there are so many people, especially in our age group that have a little bit of a quiet desperation, or this pain that, “I was meant to do something different,” or “I’ve always wanted to do this thing but there’s never been time for me” or “I’ve always been taking care of other people,” or quite frankly, “I didn’t have the courage or I didn’t really stick with it.” There is that pain point.
You know, we actually call Camp Reinvention, Camp Reinvention because obviously we’re diving in deep, a lot of powerful work to create positive change in your life that sticks, that’s what reinvention is. But camp because we women take things so seriously, we have so many balls in the air, so many responsibilities at times that sometimes we forget to play. We want to reintroduce this whole notion of stepping into the version of yourself that has wonder, and joy, and creativity, and fun, and play. We get to do this and be responsible human beings and pursue the things we want to pursue in our life. I think it’s really important to infuse that in our life more because sometimes we lose that along the way.
Katie [11:12]:
Yeah, absolutely. I love some of the goals that you outlined, and the title of that book is almost like a gut punch, I’m literally thinking to myself right now, what might be one of my top regrets? These are interesting questions to ask yourself. We’re going to be headed into a quick break Dana, but when we come back, I want to explore a little bit about what gets in the way of women giving themselves permission to do these reinventions that you’re outlining. We’ll be right back.
[Ad Break]
Katie [12:39]:
Okay Dana, we’re back. We’re talking about giving ourselves permission to reinvent, to be intentional about our next chapter, to create the life that we perhaps have always dreamed of. What gets in the way? What do you hear from the women who go through your program?
Dana [12:57]:
You know, honestly, we could talk a whole hour about what gets in the way. [both laugh] I mean, we all have our own list, right?
Katie [13:04]:
That’s probably true, exactly. This is a tough one. But what would be maybe the number one thing that you hear? What’s a common theme?
Dana [13:10]:
I think a very common theme is the many ways in which women “should” all over themselves. We say it, it sounds like shit, but yes, they should all over themselves. Often times we’ve bought into kind of the cultural expectations, family expectations, the expectations of those that we love, even some beliefs we buy into that we may not necessarily agree with, and the end result is at this stage of life, we find that you know what, “I’ve been doing all the things I should. I’ve been being the person that I should be, I’ve been doing all these things that I should,” but at the end of it, when you’re reassessing, it feels kind of empty.
I think oftentimes what happens is we define success at a really young age. Going into college, or entering the workforce, whatever that happens to be, and we have this notion of what success is supposed to look like. And we see that, by the way, more in front of our faces every day now because of social media. And success has got certain images attached to it and we buy into this oftentimes without ding that gut check of, "Wait a minute, how do I want to experience my life? What is important to me? How do I want to define success?” It’s actually a very personal definition, but oftentimes we buy into, full buy in, on what we think we should be and what we should do, and we find it kind of empty at this stage of our life.
Katie [14:42]:
Yeah, I can totally relate to this Dana. As you’re speaking, I’m having this full body recognition that I almost became a lawyer. [laughs] I almost became a lawyer because I felt that that was something I should do. I have lawyers in my family, and that was an example and it felt like, perhaps, the right career. And I didn’t. I ultimately pulled the plug because I realized it wasn’t for me and went to journalism school instead.
But this notion of should is very, very strong. I love that you’re helping women redefine success for themselves, today. What would be one or two concrete tips or steps that you would offer listeners to help them get unstuck, help them rejigger how they define success for themselves?
Dana [15:34]:
Yeah, such a great question. Can I share a little story actually first?
Katie [15:36]:
Of course! We love stories. We love stories.
Dana [15:38]:
You know, it’s funny because I was definitely queen of the shoulds, [Katie laughs] I just checked all those boxes. I had a career, it was in magazine publishing. On paper it looked great. On paper I checked all the boxes and went from marketing major in college, to associate, the manager, to director, to I was in the corner office at a big publication, big staff. Everything looked great on paper but what I learned is you cannot really own your success unless it’s something that really matters to you. At the end of the day, I looked great on paper, but I was miserable. I credit the year that I was in that corner office and I kind of moved to that level that I thought I should, I was so unhappy, so depleted, so completely burned out, unhealthy.
I look back and I realize I didn’t care about advertising pages, is really what it came down to. I was good at it but just because I’m good at doing proposals and presentations and things, at that time for the goal of advertising pages, does not mean that what I was working for mattered to me. And at the end of the day, if we’re going to feel successful in our life, what we’re doing and how we’re contributing needs to be aligned with what really matters to us, with what it is that feels fulfilling to us, with the way that we want to make an impact. And at that time, it did not. And so, that was a real turning point for me where I was like, "Woah, this looks good, but at the end of the day, it’s really not who I am and want to contribute.” Loved magazines, still love magazines but the way I was, what I was contributing at the end of the day just didn’t matter to me. What I learned is you can be really good at something, doesn’t mean it’s right for you. It’s really hard to give yourself permission to get off.
Katie [17:33]:
Yeah, totally. I think that most women who are listening to this show are probably nodding their heads right now because we all do things that we’re good at that maybe we don’t want to be doing. You get assigned that in your family, you get assigned that may be in your marriage, you get assigned that in your careers where you take on these things because you’re good at it, but it's maybe not how you want to be spending your time and your energy.
And you know, I think getting to midlife means that sometimes you feel more confident in jettisoning some of these expectations. I find that in my own live. I’ve let go of traps, like perfectionism; I feel like I’m good at delegating now in my family because I don’t need to be the one that does everything. Sometimes I joke that I should make up t-shirts that say, "Mom is a good looker.” Because I have to look for everything in the house, and now I’m like, “Well, you can find your shoes. Why do I have to?” Just because I’m good at finding things, doesn’t mean I want to be that person. So, we sometimes have to just fire ourselves from some of these roles that we no longer want. So, I love that story, thank you for opening with that. For listeners who want to fire themselves from things they no longer enjoy, what are some concrete steps to help them do that?
Dana [18:50]:
You know, the number one tool or one of the first exercises we go through in The Camp Reinvention Process is helping you find what we call, your Compass Point. You hear people talk about “true north” and various things, but the Compass Point is a little bit different. The Compass Point is a feeling state because at the end of the day, every single goal that matters to you, it really comes down to a feeling, doesn’t it? If you want to lose 10 pounds, it has nothing to do with 10 pounds; it has to do with, you want to feel sexy, you want to feel strong, you want to feel fit, you want to feel good in your jeans. It’s always coming down to a feeling state.
So, the Compass Point, is how do you want to feel about yourself and about your life on your very last day. How do you want to feel? And when you get clear on that feeling state – which by the way, is how you want to be experiencing your life – when you get clear on that, and you use that as a filter for your decisions, you make decisions that are truly aligned with who you are and how you want to be experiencing your life. So, for example, my Compass Point has everything to do with making a contribution I’m proud of, with leading with love and that means so many different things to me. It’s not only about loving other people and of course, I’m all in on that, but also loving myself, because I wasn’t always so great at that. It has to do with loving how I’m spending my time, loving what I have, and not always wanting other things. That notion of love means a lot of different things to me, and my Compass Point has to do with living all in. So, when I can condense that to a phrase, that my Compass Point is about love, living all in, and making a contribution I’m proud of, if I use that as a filter for my choices, I’m going to make choices that are truly aligned with who I am and who I want to become.
I can tell you right now, if I used that Compass Point and if I knew about it back when I was doing the whole magazine corporate ladder business, I would have made very different choices. Because I wasn’t contributing in a way that I experienced, I wasn’t loving how I spent my days, I didn’t have time for the people that I loved because I was working obscene hours. This notion of playing all in, I didn’t have time for curiosity and adventure. I was a work-hound. So, that choice would have been so obvious, to not have that be what I was doing. That would have been an obvious choice that I needed to make a change, if I put it through the lens of what really matters to me, which is that Compass Point...
Katie [21:21]:
I think this notion of defining the Compass Point is so smart, and I love that you’re using it as a lens to examine everything in your life. It’s really about shifting mindset, which is so important. I truly believe, too, that mindset is the foundation by which all chance and growth occur.
But also, I’m curious about this... We have a lot of systemic forces that are at work that are keeping us at a Compass Point that we don’t like, or a mindset that we don’t like. Patriarchal systems that set up our work world, there’s sexism, there’s ageism. I don’t want to make this an “ism” but there are the demands of family life. We can't tackle them all today, and I love that your Camp Reinvention helps people explore these different ideas, but I would love to talk about ageism. How does the notion that I’m at a certain age affect the women that go through your program because you do focus on people who are 50? For women who are listening to this right now who are thinking, “Yes, I’d love a new career. Yes, I’d love to have more purpose in my life. Yes, I’d love to finally launch that business, but I’m afraid I’m too old.” What is your response to that? Because that’s not just mindset. Sometimes there are systemic forces that are at work, where you’re not getting hired at certain ages. How do you tackle that?
Dana [22:44]:
Yes, ah, such a great question Katie. At camp, we have women who are 50 and older, so we have women who are well into their 60s, and early 70s and ageism is real. Women, people, that look for jobs when they’re over the age of 50, it takes longer. There are many more people that are going to get laid off over the age of 50. There are real things that we’re dealing with. And you don’t need to be a victim of it. What we find, and this speaks to the mindset Katie, is if you believe that you’re too old to find a job, or “I’m not going to get hired. Nobody’s going to want me after the age of 55,” or whatever it happens to be... If that’s what you believe, you’re going to find all sorts of evidence to support that belief. You’re going to hear all the stories of people who have been looking for jobs for two years and couldn’t start her business or whatever it is. You’re going to hear a ton of stories that support that.
But the flip is also true. If you can entertain the idea that, “Wait a minute, just because I’m 55,” if you can redefine what that means to you, “I have more to contribute, I have so much more to learn, I have so many things I want to contribute to,” and if you believe that to the bottom of your toes, you’re going to find tons of evidence to support that too. Now, you’re going to look through the lens of seeing those people that are in their 60s, 70s, and maybe 80s starting businesses. We have some campers that have the best jobs of their career, in their 60s.
One of our women actually, it was really fantastic. She was a publisher, in magazine publishing. She was top of her game, not surprisingly, not in that industry anymore because her magazine folded, along with so many others, and she was really afraid organization agism. “How is this going to show up? I’m in my late 50s. Who is going to take me seriously? This is all I’ve done, publishing jobs don’t even exist. How am I going to do this?” And she got really clear on her Compass Point, she got really clear on how she wanted to show up, and she kind of shifted it and thought, you know what, she’s looking through the lens, seeing all sorts of other people who are doing cool things at this age and she thought, "Let me just make this fun, let me just lead with curiosity, let me make this fun and have some conversations.” And she landed in a job that she is so frickin’ happy in, that wasn’t what she was looking for. She landed in a job where she’s the head of membership and communication for an organization, I think it’s called SeeHer, it has to do with the media, but it has to do with how we’re portraying women and girls in the media.
Katie [25:17]:
I know that organization. That’s a fabulous place to be working.
Dana [25:21]:
So cool! And so, it used her skills. Oftentimes what we do is we put ourselves in a box, "I am a publisher. I am a marketer. I am a... whatever.” We put ourselves in that box, and clearly other people do, and it’s our job to take ourselves out of that box and to look at all these amazing strengths and skills that you have because that’s transferrable to any other thing you want to do, but we’ve got to speak that language and look through the lens of what is possible by looking for evidence, and it is out there. You just have to look at it and be it.
Katie [25:49]:
Of course! Your camp is full of evidence. This show is full of evidence. I talk to a woman every single Monday who is knocking out of the park in midlife, taking on new creative endeavors, launching businesses, that are really thriving. So, if you’re looking to collect evidence that positive change is possible, look no further than this show because there are so many incredible women.
In a minute, I want to explore how the coaching actually works, what that looks like. But I want to ask you a personal question before we get into the nitty-gritty of what Camp Reinvention offers in terms of virtual coaching and live coaching, ecetera. You’ve shared that you yourself are a career shifter. You’ve launched your own business after working for others in print and magazines for a number of years. What mindset shift did you have to make for yourself in order to become an entrepreneur later in life? And were any of these skills or sort of attributes that you’re using today to be successful, things that came to you in midlife, or could you have done this earlier?
Dana [27:04]:
I absolutely could have done it earlier, but I think I’m a slow learner. [both laugh] The real shift I think, happened when I started having incredible respect for who I am and what is important to me and realized that it’s within my power to live into that and that unless I’m taking control of my career, my happiness, my life, it’s not going to happen. We think it’s going to happen “someday,” and oftentimes, we think there’s a magic person that’s going to point us... Truth be told, when I changed careers, my husband was saying all the right things, but I felt guilty, so I was listening to the guilt story. "Who am I to change careers and do this thing that I love when he’s doing work that he doesn’t love?” So, it’s interesting, you can have all the external support sometimes and the internal... everything between the ears is what matters. Your internal story can hold you back, and it did for a long time.
So, when I say I’m a slow-learner I believe on this front, is I was at a pain point in magazine publishing for a long time. And then I went off, I became a part of an organization called Americares, which was amazing. It was a medical relief organization, and I was so happy to make the jump and to make a difference, and cut my salary in half, [Katie laughs] but I gave myself permission to do that. It wasn’t a job that made sense financially to keep once I started a family.
So, it was several years later, when I was doing spokesperson work in the media, I would represent products, and I had a company called Lifestyle Mom, and for a while, it was fun, and I learned, and I obviously got very savvy at doing media interviews and having fun with it. But at the end of the day, I was representing products that did not resonate with who I am because you’re in that awkward position that you don’t want to be the talent that’s always saying, “No, I don’t want to represent that. No, I don’t want to,” and it was easy money when I had young kids.
So, fast forward after doing this for a couple of years, there was a media segment that made absolutely zero sense. I was representing what you should do to survive the holiday, and we had products that I was talking about that did not fit in the segment, and it was truly a painful segment. With these media tours, you need to do about 20 to 25 interviews back-to-back, so you need to maintain energy. I was becoming physically ill, like, “I can't believe I’m doing this.” But I couldn’t give myself permission at that time to not do it, because who am I to not bring this easy money, in the scheme of things, to my family.
So, I was getting physically ill, iller and iller, just sick to my stomach, nauseous with every single interview that I did in such a way that I actually went to the bathroom, and I was throwing up because I was being so untrue to what matters to me. I’m like, “What am I doing?” And nothing was insanely bad about the products, they were fine, but they weren’t the products that I do. I personally do all fresh food, I was representing some packaged foods that I personally wouldn’t serve my family. At the end of the day, I was doing work that did not feel and was not authentic to who I am and, again, how I want to contribute. I was always using the shoulds, the lens of the should: I didn’t have a full-time job. How lucky was I? I had three young kids. I should make money. Who am I to stop doing this because it’s a way I can... you know what I mean?
Katie [30:38]:
Yes, the shoulds definitely can... it’s a steady drumbeat. It’s this inner peanut gallery that just sort of natters at you about what you should be doing. You know, I think we get better at tuning it out as we get older, but it does take a while. It sounds like you were able to quiet that inner peanut gallery and get yourself back on track and get that particular should out of your life.
So, I want to dive into the Camp Reinvention modules. You’ve been talking a lot about coaching. I’m excited about what you offer. I’m actually going to be participating in something that you’re doing soon. I would love for you to share... Listeners might be thinking, is this one-on-one coaching? What is the 12 weeks all about? Do we have to show up in a room? Can you tell us a little bit about what your actual offerings are to women who are curious?
Dana [31:31]:
Yeah, thank you, Katie, for asking. So, Camp Reinvention, we have mostly digital offerings. We also are able to go back live now since the pandemic is slowing down.
Katie [31:39]:
Yay! [laughs]
Dana [31:39]:
I’m so excited. We’re going to Arizona next week. It’s our first life offering since January of 2020 because of the pandemic. So, I’ll take you through The Camp Reinvention Process, and then I’ll just tell you how each of the programs differ a little bit. So, The Camp Reinvention Process, we have four key modules that we work through. What we’re doing is we’re taking you through a process of really looking at your life and looking at what your patterns are, in a different way. So, we do get into a lot of that mindset work, Katie. We talk about how so much of what is happening in your life is what’s happening between your ears.
So, the first section or first module is called Reset, and it’s really diving into a lot of, what are the stories that you have going on in your head. Your belief systems, how are they working for you, or are they working for you? Do you want to change them? There’s so much that we have... I think you know this Katie. Over 45% of what we humans do is done by habit. Oftentimes we’re not being intentional, oftentimes we’re just doing what we do, and unless we stop and look at the beliefs we have, the stories, the narrative that’s going on in that brain of ours, some of the patterns that we have by default, unless we’re looking at some of that stuff, we are not going to create positive change, and that’s obviously a big part of starting to get clarity on what it is that you want to do.
Rewinding is really taking a look at what is working in your life and what isn’t working in your life? What are some of those patterns that you do want to change? Because neuroplasticity is a beautiful thing, and we get to change how we show up and how we do things, with being intentional and with repeat practice. What are some of those things you need to let go if in your life? We’re carrying a really heavy backpack at this stage of our life, not only of obligations but sometimes of resentment, or anger, or guilt, or shame. Some of those things that keep us all up at night, fear, anxiety. Sometimes it’s stuff. Sometimes it’s people in our life that aren’t serving us anymore in a way that’s healthy and positive.
So, we’re really examining a lot of that and as we get into the Reboot section of the program, we’re taking a look at our life right now. What is it that is in our life right now, who are we right now? And moving into that best version and getting clear on who that best version of yourself is and learning how to cultivate that best version of yourself, and really starting to envision what it is you want.
Katie [34:19]:
I love this. So, it’s Reset, Rewire, Reboot...
Dana [34:23]:
Yeah, Reset, Rewind, Reboot.
Katie [34:25]:
Reset, Rewind, Reboot.
Dana [34:28]:
So, now Reboot, you’re grounded in your present, and you’re getting really clear on what is the best version of you that you’re cultivating and what is that best version of your life that you want to manifest and create as you’re moving forward.
And as we get into the final module, which is Re-engage, we take you through a very different type of goal-setting process that allows you to be agile and to pivot as you go. Because we all know no goal happens in a straight line. Life happens, we get busy, we get derailed, and obviously, we need to learn how to pivot. Oftentimes people’s goals don’t happen because they start, they get excited, and then they pitter out, and we want to keep you going in positive momentum.
Katie [35:13]:
Fantastic. And I know that you have a 12-week program coming up. It’s called the Camp Reinvention Career Change Accelerator; it’s going to be happening this fall. I am delighted. Dana has invited me to run a session in it on owning your career story on LinkedIn. We are about to be moving into our speed round, but I really do want to encourage people who are looking to reboot their career, to maybe pivot, change, get back to work, to launch a business, to consider this. Dana, could you give us a quick overview on some of the other modules that will be covered during that accelerator?
Dana [35:49]:
Yeah, so, the Career Change Accelerator is all about changing your career by the end of the year. It’s for that woman that either wants to look for a job, who hasn’t in a long time, because god knows it’s a totally different process now, or that woman that wants to pivot her career take the skills that she has and put them in a different area and serve in a different way, or for that woman who wants to start a business.
So, the reason why Katie is one of our guest experts is what we’re doing is over the course of 12 weeks. It starts on October 20th, Wendy and I are teaching the Camp Reinvention Process. That process is all about helping you grow into the person you need to be to create this next stage of life that you want to create. You’ve got to be that person. So, that’s really what the Camp Reinvention Coaching Process creates.
Now what we do, is we bring in experts that teach the things that we do not teach. These are the hard skills. So, Katie is going to be talking about creating your brand story... Oh no, we said you’re going to talk about LinkedIn, [Katie laughs] Katie has a lot of different expertise.
Katie [36:49]:
Well, sort of brand story on LinkedIn, we’ll be talking about how to put LinkedIn to work to share your story, the value that you offer in your career, in your business, and to use LinkedIn to better advocate for your priorities, basically.
Dana [37:03]:
Yeah, fantastic. So, we have experts, we have about 15 experts that are going to be coming in, teaching the skills, so if you’re the gal who is looking for a job, how do you use LinkedIn? How do you network in this digital world? How not be a victim of agism? Negotiation skills, learning to ace the interview, and how do you write your resume for those digital keywords. A lot of women are not even getting interviews for things they’re overqualified for, not because they’re not great, but because their resume isn’t optimized for digital, which is crazy. We’re also bringing in the experts that help you if you want to start a business. So, what do you do in the first 90 days, the legal 1-2-3, how to create a brand story, and some of the basics of social media? So, we’re bringing in those experts that teach the hard skills because during our coaching process, you got clear on what you want, and you’re so much more confident in everything else, but at the end of the day, there are things that you need to do, and we have the experts that are going to help you do that.
Katie [37:57]:
I could not be more excited. So, if people who listen to the show who think they’re looking for this and they’re not tired of spending time with me on the podcast every Monday, I would love it if you joined me. This is my second passion. I love making people better on the platform. I’m really excited to be helping people uplevel their communications on LinkedIn and to put it in service for their next act.
So, Dana we are moving into our speed round. Let’s get into it. I love this. We end on a high-energy note, this is a one-to-two-word answer.
Creating Camp Reinvention was _____.
Dana [38:39]:
The best business decision I’ve made in my life.
Katie [38:41]:
Augh! Love it. A lifestyle hack that fuels reinvention mojo: _____.
Dana [38:48]:
Ooh! Pausing and being intentional.
Katie [38:53]:
A lifestyle hack that fuels midlife peace _____.
Dana [38:57]:
So good... Giving yourself breathing room and permission to have downtime.
Katie [39:07]:
Love it. A skill that I acquired during my own midlife reinvention _____.
Dana [39:13]:
These are such good questions, Katie, and they’re flying at me fast! This is good. I wasn’t prepared. So, what was that question again? The best skills...?
Katie [39:19]:
A skill that you acquired during your midlife reinvention.
Dana [39:24]:
The ability to say, “No” to what’s not important to me.
Katie [39:26]:
Ooh, love it. Camp Reinvention focuses a lot on mindset, and building grit. What was the last new thing you tried that powered your grit?
Dana [39:37]:
Last new thing that I tried... I’m going to say meditation. Meditation does not come naturally to me, and that’s something relatively new to my practice, and I’m finding it to be a game changer.
Katie [39:47]:
Nice. Even mindset coaches struggle. What’s something that you’re still working on in midlife?
Dana [39:54]:
I’m practicing letting go of expectations, and that’s really hard because when you’re a person who is high achieving and, having high goals, to do the work and letting go of where you want it to land.
Katie [40:07]:
Nice. Finally, your one world answer to complete this sentence: As I age, I feel _____.
Dana [40:14]:
Bolder.
Katie [40:15]:
Ooh. Love it. Okay, thank you, Dana. Before we say goodbye, how can our listeners find you, learn more about Camp Reinvention, and your upcoming online courses, including the one that I will be participating in this fall, the Camp Reinvention Career Change Accelerator?
Dana [40:31]:
Awesome. Go to CampReinvention.com, and you’ll see all of our programs, including the upcoming Career Change Accelerator Program. And if you have any questions, email Wendy or me at hello@campreinvention.com. We’d love to hear from you.
Katie [40:47]:
Fantastic. And I will be putting sign-up for Camp Reinvention Career Change Accelerator on the podcast website. We’ve got a brand new one. Come check it out, ACertainagePod.com. I’ll also include that link in the show notes, and I’ll be sharing it on Instagram over at ACertainAgePod.com. Dana, thank you so much.
Dana [41:06]:
Thank you so much Katie, this was a lot of fun.
Katie [41:08]:
This wraps A Certain Age, a show for women who are aging without apology.
Special thanks to Michael Mancini, who composed and produced our theme music. See you next time, and until then: Age boldly, beauties.