💃 The pivot is the process

Ever feel like you’ve already used up your “one thing”? Like the dream had a deadline and you missed it?

That’s exactly what my conversation with Susan Ottaviano blows apart.

Some people have one gift. Susan has about ten. 🌿 She’s a musician (yes — Book of Love, the voice behind “I Touch Roses“!), a painter, a food stylist, and now the co-author of Plants That Heal — a gorgeous new book full of herbal teas, calming bath rituals, nourishing recipes, and soulful practices for body, mind, and soul.

What moved me most was her willingness to keep evolving. Susan doesn’t cling to one version of herself — she pivots, she creates, she begins again. As Susan so brilliantly said —

We talked about pushing through the dark, doubt-filled seasons before a breakthrough, the small daily rituals that bring us back to center, and why midlife is when we finally get to bloom.

Here’s your big takeaway ~

Your creativity and your dreams don't expire — they deepen. If you've been craving permission to start something new, consider this your sign. 💫

Learn more about Susan anytime at susanottaviano.com and click here for her new book, Plants That Heal.

Make sure you catch our next LIVE show right here on Substack with the fabulous Lyndsay Dowd — Thursday, July 16 at 1:30 PM ET.

Lyndsay gave IBM 23 years, left on her own terms for a fresh start — then got let go six months into the new job. 😳 What she built instead? Heartbeat for Hire, helping brands ditch toxic leadership for cultures people actually want to work in. We're talking reinvention at 50+, betting on yourself, and why trust is your currency. 💛

Click here to register and join us!

Here’s to being unleashed, unstoppable, unapologetic—and living your midlife out loud.

Wendy

🌐 Explore more: WendyValentine.com
📖 Get the Manifesto: Women Waking Up
📸 Hang out on Instagram: @hellowendyvalentine
🎙️ Binge the podcast: TheMidlifeMakeoverShow.com