Jennifer Arthurton was divorced, unemployed, an empty nester, and physically unwell—all before her 50th birthday.
With all of her familiar roles gone, she found herself asking a question many women face in midlife: What now?
In this episode of the To Your Health podcast, Jennifer shares how she started over—and why menopause turned out to be less of a breakdown and more of a turning point.
How It All Fell Apart
Jennifer describes the year leading up to her 50th birthday as a complete unraveling. Her job, marriage, day-to-day parenting role, and health all fell apart at once.
For a while, she shut down completely. Then, slowly, she began to rebuild—without the old roadmap, and without the pressure to go back to how things were.
Menopause as a Pattern Interrupt
Menopause, for Jennifer, became a natural stopping point. It forced her to slow down and notice what wasn’t working.
The stress, the fatigue, and the shift in what she was willing to tolerate all helped her start seeing where her energy was being drained—and where she actually wanted it to go instead.
What Helped Her Move Forward
Jennifer didn’t make one big, bold change. She made lots of small ones. Here are some of the most useful takeaways from our conversation:
1. Start with what feels off
She didn’t know what she wanted, but she knew what felt heavy. Paying attention to that helped her figure out what needed to change.
2. Let curiosity lead
Instead of needing all the answers upfront, she followed the questions: What do I want more of? What am I done with? That’s what helped her take the first few steps.
3. Don’t wait for a plan to act
Momentum didn’t come from clarity—it came from movement. She didn’t wait for a five-year plan. She just started.
4. Make space to hear yourself again
After years of being everything for everyone else, Jennifer had to relearn how to listen to herself. That looked like creating quiet moments, tuning in, and rebuilding trust with her own instincts.
5. Realignment > reinvention
She didn’t need to become someone new. She needed to reconnect with who she already was—and make decisions that reflected that.
If you’re going through a season of change—or feel one creeping up—this conversation offers a down-to-earth look at how to move forward without burning everything down.
📌 Listen to the full episode here:
Jennifer Arthurton
Jennifer Arthurton is the founder and creator of Old Chicks Know Sh*t, a community and a podcast designed to inspire and support midlife women in chasing their dreams and creating their kick ass next chapter. Jennifer is a former Fortune 500 marketing executive turned midlife mentor, podcast host, writer and inspirational speaker. Having survived her own midlife crisis and subsequent course correction, she has a passion for helping women uncover the inherent power and wisdom of a time of life when they often feel overlooked and doubt themselves most.
Jennifer runs a mastermind community called The Maven Collective, for powerful midlife women on the journey to creating their kick ass next chapter. It’s not a course or coaching program, it’s a community of shared experiences and learning designed to inspire and elevate each other.
Find out more about at www.oldchicksknowshit.com or Old Chicks Know Shit on Instagram and Facebook.
