There’s a certain myth that once we hit midlife, we’ll have it all figured out. We’ll be calm, collected and confidently striding into the next chapter.

But what happens when you finally step into your dream only to find your body, mind and emotions suddenly playing by a whole new set of rules?

In this honest and empowering guest blog, we hear from Sally Ashe who took the leap into self-employment at 60 only to be met with the unexpected rollercoaster of menopause, anxiety and self-doubt.

With wit, wisdom and real-life tools, she shares the truth about what it really looks like to build a business while navigating one of life’s biggest transitions.

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In January 2024, I launched my business as an Online Business Manager. After years of being employed, I was excited, focused and finally doing what I wanted to do. I was running my own show on my terms.

I was also a 60-year-old menopausal woman. And as the year went on, that part started to get louder. 

By spring, I’d begun experiencing anxiety attacks. Not the kind where you sit in a dark room rocking (though some days came close), but the creeping, edge-of-panic feeling that would turn up unannounced. There was no pattern, they just happened. Difficult when you’re trying to make decisions or do the best work you can for your clients.

The mix of fluctuating hormones and the uncertainty of self-employment (read: no guaranteed income) turned out to be an absolute cocktail for emotional chaos. One minute I was riding high, the next I was questioning everything — my pricing, my abilities, my entire existence. 

Sound familiar? 

The Bit No One Prepped Us For 

No one warned me that my brain might desert me at exactly the moment I needed it most. Or that I’d go from feeling capable and clear-headed to losing track of a sentence mid-email. Or that I’d be suddenly knocked sideways by a wave of anxiety I couldn’t explain, even though logically everything was fine.

The hot flushes, I expected. The night sweats, the memory lapses — annoying, but manageable. 

The loss of confidence, though, the second-guessing, the tight chest and the irrational fear that I was somehow messing everything up.

That hit me harder than I expected.

What’s Helped (When I’ve Managed to Breathe Long Enough to Think) 

If you’re in this too, running a business while your body’s busy deconstructing and rebuilding itself from the inside out, you’re not alone. And you’re not broken.

Here are a few things that have helped me stay upright:

Systems Save Me 

When my head’s foggy, I lean hard on structure. I write everything down. I use systems to keep the business ticking over because if I must remember more than two things at once, it’s game over. Future Me always thanks Past Me for the checklist. 

Protect the White Space

I used to cram my calendar, thinking being “fully booked” meant I was doing it right. Now I make space. At least one hour a day during the week to go for a walk and I take Fridays off, non-negotiable! 

My brain needs downtime. Yours probably does too.

Start Spotting the Patterns

Certain things always make it worse: over-scheduling, skipping meals and doom scrolling LinkedIn when I’m already feeling unsure. I’m learning to be gentler with myself and to plan for the dips rather than being surprised by them.