Happy Friday, fab friends over 40. We made it. And oh, what a week it has been.

If you have ever started a new job or started over in any part of life, you know what I mean: change is hard. It can be exciting, hopeful, uncomfortable, and humbling, all before lunch.

This week, after 22 years in the same position, I started a new chapter as an Instructor of Marketing at West Liberty University’s College of Business. New office. New students. New classes. New colleagues. And so many new lessons to learn.

One early lesson: do not wear heels when you have to stand for two classes back to back. Consider that my first piece of faculty wisdom.

What starting a new job after 40 really feels like

I am going to be honest, I felt like a fish out of water at first. I am not used to being the new girl on the block at work, and I am certainly not used to asking as many questions as I did this week.

Clearly, I had a lot to learn.

That is one of the strange things about starting a new job after 40. You may bring decades of experience, good instincts, and hard-earned confidence, then suddenly find yourself looking for the copier and asking where the bathroom is. It is easy to mistake the discomfort of being new for a sign that you do not belong.

But being new is not the same as being unqualified. It simply means there is a learning curve. The experience I have built over the past 22 years did not disappear when I walked into a new office. It came with me. It just needs a little time to find its place in this new chapter.

I did not have to begin again alone

Over the past two weeks, one thing has become abundantly clear: I am blessed to be surrounded by colleagues, mentors, friends, and family who are supporting me, helping me, and genuinely cheering me on as I navigate this new chapter.

If you had told me one year ago that I would be sipping coffee at home on a Friday morning, writing this blog, and teaching on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I would have said it sounded like a dream come true. I probably would have laughed.

And yet, here I am.

But I could not have done it alone. It was the phone call from a dear friend who heard about the open position and thought of me. It was the lunch meetings with my mentor, who helped me prepare for my interview and those first early lesson plans. It was the steady, “Yes, Stacey, you can do this,” from my husband, daughter, and parents.

It was my best friends at the beach and Deep Creek Lake toasting to my new position. It was my bootcamp girls surrounding me with support and making sure I still get my ass to the gym.

And to some degree, it was my own courage to say: I deserve to create a life that I want.

That sentence matters. A new job, a career change, or a bigger life change rarely happens because one person suddenly becomes fearless. It happens through the support of people who remind you what is possible, plus the decision to believe you are worth the effort. If you are thinking about a larger work change, my practical guide to changing careers at 40 can help you make the next step feel more manageable.

If you are standing at a crossroads, I see you

If you are over 40 and find yourself somewhere between “I am fine where I am” and “I would really like to see what else is out there for me,” I see you.

Yes, change is scary. Yes, there is uncertainty when you cannot see the full picture unfolding just yet. Starting something new may ask you to be a beginner again, make room for questions, and let other people help.

But you do not have to have every answer to begin. You can take one class, have one conversation, update one part of your resume, or let yourself imagine a different Tuesday and Thursday. You can build a bridge instead of making a dramatic leap. My reflection on starting over at 40 is a good place to begin when the change you want still feels too big to name.

Most of all, surround yourself with people who love and support you. Let them cheer when you get the job, help when the projector app is acting up, and remind you that your newness will not last forever.

Cheers to the next chapter, and my 48th birthday weekend

To all of my fab friends over 40, there is no better time to choose yourself. If I can give you one little spark of inspiration to make a change for the better, I hope it ignites a fire in you.

I am kicking off my 48th birthday weekend with a full heart, sore feet, and a whole lot of gratitude. I am still learning the names, the systems, and the classroom technology. But I am also learning something more important: the life that once felt like a far-off dream can become your real life, one brave yes at a time.

If you are ready to get clearer on what you want next, the Find Your Purpose reflection and my Find Your New Chapter course are here when you need them.

Cheers to beginning again.

With love,
Stacey